When Arch Manning officially succeeded Quinn Ewers as Texas football starting quarterback, excitement reached unprecedented levels in Austin and throughout the sport. The nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning was not just projected to win the Heisman Trophy. He was tapped to lead the Longhorns to their first national championship in 20 seasons. He still has time to live up to the hype, but his performance has been worryingly disparate from what has been prognosticated for years.

Manning has a 55.3 completion percentage with 579 passing yards, nine total touchdowns and three interceptions through three games this season. He has struggled even against lower-tier competition, causing fans to wonder if the 21-year-old's last name convinced everyone that he was deserving of the No. 1 ranking in the 2023 recruiting class and all the praise that followed.

Alabama legend Nick Saban believes the media is to blame for setting the bar to unattainable levels this early in the 6-foot-4 QB's tenure at Texas.

“Nobody has created greater expectations for anybody than what we've all created for Arch Manning, a lot because of his name not necessarily what he's been able to accomplish to this point of his career,” the seven-time national champion head coach and current College GameDay analyst told “The Pat McAfee Show.” “I think that creates a lot of anxiety with players and I think that anxiety really hurts their development… They need to focus on development.”

Will Arch Manning be able to block out the noise?

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Saban's point is an important one. Sky-high expectations simply do not work in the modern college game. Prospects are arguably more raw than ever before. Achieving immediate success is extremely difficult, and constant media coverage only adds another tall hurdle for Arch Manning to clear. Thus far, he has stumbled.

Joel Klatt has expressed optimism that the Longhorns signal-caller can fix his mistakes, which the FOX Sports broadcaster believes is mainly due to timing. The athleticism is undeniable, so perhaps head coach Steve Sarkisian can build his young QB's confidence by allowing him to lead with his impressive mobility.

While Texas football can exercise patience with Manning's growth, it is critical that he at least plays well enough to give this squad a chance to win. Obviously, the onus is not just on him, but all eyes are usually on the QB.

Manning and the Longhorns have a home game versus Sam Houston on Saturday before beginning SEC play with a road trip to Gainesville, Florida. Perhaps when the buzz is at its lowest, No. 16 will be able to relax and perform to his full capabilities.