University of Texas quarterback Arch Manning didn’t exactly turn heads in a positive manner in his season debut against Ohio State University on Saturday. In a game the Longhorns lost by a score of 14-7, he completed just 17 of his 30 passing attempts and threw just one touchdown compared to one interception.
With Manning struggling with scouts from more than 12 NFL teams in attendance for the contest, former NFL signal-caller Kurt Benkert dropped a theory about the 21-year-old’s rough day. He said in a series of posts on X that Manning is “clearly” dealing with a shoulder injury and that the team is hiding that information from the public.
Arch clearly has a shoulder injury.
They definitely aren’t disclosing it.
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) August 30, 2025
He has zero power and has to put everything he can into it. Wouldn’t be shocked if he strained it in camp.
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) August 30, 2025
Doesn’t change the fact that his decision-making has been really bad – I’m not glazing anything I’m calling it as I see it
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) August 30, 2025
Some believe Manning to be the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, but it’s safe to claim that he didn’t play like a top pick in the Longhorns’ first game of the 2025 season. Heading into the contest, Manning was the betting favorite to capture the Heisman Trophy, something that has since changed.
Manning should probably get used to dealing with incredibly lofty expectations for years to come with the surname he has. His uncles Eli and Peyton were both great NFL quarterbacks.
Eli Manning won a pair of Super Bowls with the New York Giants during his playing days, and Peyton Manning finished his playing career with the same number of Super Bowl victories to go along with a whopping 14 Pro Bowl selections and five MVP awards.
Hopefully, Arch Manning will follow in the footsteps of his uncles and have a highly successful NFL career, but if his performance against Ohio State on Saturday was any indication, he still has plenty of work to do to reach that level.
Arch Manning will have a shot to redeem himself and help the Longhorns pick up their first win of the season when they take on San Jose State University in their next bout on Sept. 6. But if it is true that he’s dealing with a shoulder injury, maybe he should sit out that game.
