The season has become a lost cause for Texas and Arch Manning. The QB is now the face of the failure that is unfolding at Austin, since his disappointing production so far headlines the show. When fans caught on to what the season was going to look like for Manning, they sure had wished that hadn’t beat down Quinn Ewers so badly. Because looking at the numbers, the former QB1 sure had a better grasp of the game.
Last year, fans caused quite the clamour when Steve Sarkisian stuck by Ewers as starting QB, instead of Manning. Back then, the young QB was perceived to be better than the veteran. Now, they sure must be relieved that Ewers took the lead instead of Manning. After 8 weeks of the season, new stats prove that the former QB was a far sturdier QB than the current star. After 7 games, Arch Manning has taken a whopping 60 hits from opposing front sevens. Ewers reached that total after Texas’ complete run of the season last year, which was 12 regular games, and 3 postseason games.
Arch Manning has been hit 60 times in 7 games
It took all of the 2024 regular season for Quinn Ewers to be hit 60 times pic.twitter.com/Ss2fgpk0bi
— Nash (@NashTalksTexas) October 21, 2025
Being hit by nearly 300-pound defensive linemen on such a regular basis takes a toll on any QB’s body. And, Manning still has to put himself through 5 more D-lines this year. We know that Manning has been a major bust this season even in terms of his skill. But looking at the grind he’s already gone through, it shows how easily the QB allows himself to be put in such a position. These numbers show that it doesn’t matter whether it’s a weak or strong defense; Arch Manning is a vulnerable QB, no matter what. Taking 60 hits so far means Manning’s average here is more than 8, while Ewers is at 4.
Kentucky’s defense for example, entered the Texas game with just 7 sacks. They walked away with 3 on Saturday, and also hit Manning 8 times. That’s how bad the situation is getting. In one brutal play, Kentucky LB Alex Afari Jr. barged through the O-line untouched to hit the QB. The blow was so harsh that Manning’s leg went up and hit Afari’s helmet because of the impact. It’s a surprise the QB is yet to feature in the injury reports this season. Even former Heisman winning QB Matt Leinart sounded an alarm. “I wonder if he’s hurt at all, dealing with anything,” Leinart said on Pardon My Take. “It didn’t look right a couple of weeks in a row there.”
Steve Sarkisian’s playcalling has been a massive problem this season, which has in turn affected Manning. The offense continues to be in development after 8 weeks of the season, and has only shown flashes of skill so far. Manning has been sacked 13 times throughout the season, and the young Texas O-line is yet to find its footing. Sarkisian, however, remains a stalwart defender for Arch Manning even now. Fans have given up hope in the QB, but the coach is still holding on. However, he couldn’t help but comment on this glaring trend.
Steve Sarkisian comments on Arch Manning being outsmarted by UK defense
When a defense as weak as the Wildcats makes away with 3 sacks, it becomes a problem that can’t be swept under the rug. Steve Sarkisian addressed the way Arch Manning was brought down by the UK defense. “We need to play better up front to protect him,” the HC said after the game. “It’s not fun when you’re at quarterback and you’re getting hit.” He added.
The offensive line continues to be leaky for Sarkisian even now. The fact that this came through against an opponent so weak is a glaring problem for Texas. Opposing defenses were able to pressure the QB on more than 46% of his dropbacks for the third straight week. According to stats, Quinn Ewers never saw that kind of pressure in his entire career as a Longhorn. Manning has averaged a pressure rate of roughly 40% on dropbacks through 7 games. It’s clear that this is no new problem for Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning.
Arch Manning not only has a lacklustre offense around him, but he himself has been outright bad. Texas is simply scraping by this season, which has got to be one of the worst turnouts in Sarkisian’s career. The time for Manning to get rid of his vices continues to narrow with each week. And looking at what Manning has produced this year as QB1, it’s safe to say there was a very good reason why he was sidelined last year for the role.
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