‘Fortunate to Have Him’ — Steve Sarkisian Backs Arch Manning’s Toughness as Former NFL QB Luke McCown Questions Texas QB’s Draft Stock

Quarterback Arch Manning has won all four of his starts this season, including a 24-23 comeback win over then-No. 1 Ohio State. Now he leads No. 1 Texas (4-0, 1-0 SEC) against Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1 SEC) on Saturday afternoon at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, in the 122nd Red River Rivalry game.

Manning is 11-1 in his last 12 starts, with four wins over top-10 teams, and on Thursday he was named one of 15 candidates for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Pro Football Network’s College Football Playoff Meter gives Texas a 78.4% chance to beat Oklahoma and a 93.4% chance to make the playoff.

Luke McCown Doubts Arch Manning as a First-Round Pick

Former NFL quarterback Luke McCown is not convinced. Responding Thursday night to a Fox Sports mock draft that projected Manning as an early first-round pick, McCown wrote, “Won’t happen this season.. not in R1, just don’t have that type of ability.”

McCown made a similar case after Texas won at Tennessee on Sept. 26, writing that Manning has size, strength and athleticism but not the consistency or precision as a passer that a top pick needs. In a reply Friday, McCown wrote that Manning, for now, is at best a mid-round arm talent from a pure drop-back perspective.

The numbers give critics something to work with. Manning has completed 73 of 115 passes for 862 yards with seven touchdown passes and three interceptions, and six of those touchdown passes came against Texas State and UTSA. He threw one against Ohio State and none at Tennessee, where he was sacked six times.

Manning’s PFN Impact grade of 79.1 entering Saturday’s game ranks 55th of 165 graded and qualified FBS quarterbacks this season, the top half.

EVERY QB, GRADED:PFN’s CFB QB Impact Rankings

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday that his offense has room to improve. “Naturally, we haven’t been as efficient as we’ve wanted to be offensively.”

Sarkisian and Venables Praise Manning Ahead of Oklahoma

Asked Monday about last season’s games against Florida and Oklahoma, Sarkisian said Manning took a pounding at Florida and stayed connected to his teammates after a rough first half against the Sooners. “And so I learned the physical toughness, the mental toughness side that Arch Manning possesses, and those are traits that obviously he still has, and we’re fortunate to have him.”

Against Ohio State on Sept. 12, Texas trailed 23-3 before Manning led three straight touchdown drives of at least 12 plays, completing 13 of 18 passes on them. Hollywood Smothers scored the winner on a 1-yard run with 25 seconds left, and Manning was named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week.

Manning has also thrown a touchdown pass in four straight games against top-5 opponents, the longest streak by an FBS quarterback since Ohio State’s Will Howard had six in a row in 2024.

The praise has come from across the Red River, too. Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said Tuesday that Manning has no weaknesses when it comes to his talent, praising his arm, his ability to run and how much he has won.

One fan was confident before kickoff, writing Saturday, “I think Arch Manning, Texas run game, and the entire offense will have themselves a very good day today.”

The same post called Oklahoma’s defense slightly overrated. Sarkisian sees it differently. On Monday, he called the Sooners’ defense exceptional and said he was not sure they had played poorly despite their 2-2 record.

Looking Ahead to Oklahoma in Week 6

Saturday’s Week 6 game matches Manning against Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, who threw three interceptions against Texas last season. The Sooners rank 120th nationally at 321 total yards per game, and their losses at Michigan and Georgia came against their only Power Four opponents.

Another fan predicted Wednesday that “John Mateer is gonna look better than Arch Manning on Saturday” at the Cotton Bowl.

Mateer’s PFN Impact grade of 68.6 entering Saturday’s game ranks 129th of 165 graded and qualified FBS quarterbacks this season, the bottom half. He lost two fumbles in Oklahoma’s 41-13 loss at Georgia on Sept. 26, when the Sooners turned the ball over four times.

BUILD THE CFP FIELD:PFN’s Free CFB Playoff Predictor

Oklahoma has lost three of four to Texas since Venables returned as head coach and is trying to avoid three straight Red River losses for the first time since 1997-99. “It’s a big game,” Venables said. “Certainly not where we want to be as a football team right now.”

The meter puts Texas’ playoff chances at 95.6% with a win Saturday and 85.3% with a loss.

Saturday also brings a reunion for Manning with Oklahoma wide receiver Parker Livingstone, his roommate and best friend at Texas last season. Manning said he won’t think anything of it. “We’re going to try to win the game, and then I’ll say ‘What’s up?’ to him after that.”

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.