With the Texas football team losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday afternoon, 14-7, what's capturing headlines is the performance of quarterback Arch Manning. As Manning would take accountability for the ugly Texas football loss, the performance also garnered the attention of sports analyst Skip Bayless and brought up his stock in the NFL Draft.
In early mock drafts for the 2026 NFL Draft, it wouldn't be rare to find Manning projected to go as the No. 1 overall pick if he were to declare. However, Bayless questions if, after Saturday's game, his pathway to the top pick is all turned to dust.
“Final takeaway: Arch Manning was not consistently accurate today,” Bayless wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Did not show consistent feel or touch. Did will two big late completions, one for a TD. But now you have to wonder about him being the No. 1 overall pick. Long way to go.”
Manning would end up throwing for 170 yards, along with a touchdown pass and an interception, as the score came with under four minutes left in the fourth quarter, which ended up being the only point scored by the Longhorns. The star would say after the defeat that his performance was “not good enough,” according to Evan Vieth.
“Ultimately, not good enough,” Manning said after the game. “Obviously, you don't want to start off the season 0-1. They're a good team. I thought we beat ourselves a lot, and that starts with me. I've got to play better for us to win.”
Arch Manning on his first half performance pic.twitter.com/cv0XYYcCNU
— Evan Vieth (@EvanVieth) August 30, 2025
More brings up the NFL Draft stock of Texas football's Arch Manning
Bayless wouldn't be the only analyst to bring up the Texas football quarterback's NFL Draft stock of being the No. 1 pick, as Ryan Clark made that point during the game. While bringing up one of the flashy plays that Manning made in the game, Clark would emphasize how the signal-caller struggled in capitalizing on the “simple things,” like missing a pass-catcher who ran a low cross route.
“The 4th down throw was a pretty good throw by Arch, but the 3rd down throw on the low crosser was unacceptable,” Clark wrote on X. “He has to do the simple things right first. Then, you can start talking about upside. LOOOOONG way to go. Let’s put the #1 overall pick talk on hold… for a while.”
At any rate, Manning and the Longhorns look to bounce back next Saturday as the team faces San Jose State.
