CBS analyst Damien Harris had a blunt new label for Arch Manning after Texas dropped another game to an unranked opponent, and this time the criticism went straight at the quarterback’s famous last name.
Following the Longhorns’ loss to the Florida Gators on the CBS Postgame Show, Harris said he’s done using “Manning” for the Texas quarterback and will call him only “Arch” from here on out. His point was simple: Manning isn’t living up to the name attached to him, and the reputation has outgrown the performance.
“Until further notice, I’m just gonna call him Arch. Because if you take away the last name, you have a below-average quarterback.
That’s what he is, and that’s how we need to evaluate him moving forward. He does not see the football field well.
He does not deliver a pretty football. He is not clean in his [operation]… Mechanics don’t look good.
Game management doesn’t look good. Nothing about Arch Manning’s game looks good,” Harris said.
He doubled down moments later.
“Arch Manning isn’t playing like a Manning. He’s playing like Arch.
So until further notice, he’s known as Arch. We need to stop holding on to his last name saying, ‘We’re expecting more.
We want to see more. There’s potential out there.’
No. Arch is a bad quarterback right now.
And until he becomes a good or a better quarterback, Arch. That’s all you’re going to get out of me.
Arch.”
The reaction online followed the same line of thought. Several college football fans argued that Manning’s surname is helping shield him from a benching that would likely have already happened if he didn’t carry such a recognizable name.
One user wrote, “Facts. He would be on the bench if he didn’t have that last name,” while another said, “Finally honest evaluation I don’t think ESPN is capable of doing it because they’re scared of the last name.”
A third added, “This right here! Too much hype but the eye test never lies.”
The fallout comes after Texas lost for the second straight week to an unranked team, with both defeats marked by an underwhelming fourth quarter. Manning’s numbers also aren’t matching the preseason expectations that followed his commitment to Texas years ago. Right now, he doesn’t have the production to support the kind of first-round projection some had floated for him, much less the consensus No. 1 pick label that once followed him.
With those questions mounting, more analysts and fans are starting to wonder whether Manning would be better off staying in college for another season after this one instead of entering the 2027 NFL Draft. If the losses keep piling up, though, the path ahead could get even more uncertain.
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