Arch Manning is exactly four starts into his college football career. Is he dealing with an injury?
The redshirt sophomore quarterback frequently throws the ball with a sidearm motion and will often grimace after a bad throw.
Some people think the most-hyped player in college football is playing through a shoulder issue. He and his head coach say otherwise. They are choosing not to acknowledge the speculation because it is so outlandish.
Arch Manning has yet to find a rythym.
The No. 1 overall prospect in the recruiting Class of 2023 went 2-0 at Texas in 2024. Manning lost the first road start of his career at Ohio State last week. He bounced back with a win over San Jose State on Saturday.
Even though the Longhorns won by 31, their quarterback was inconsistent. Manning ultimately finished with 19 completions for 295 yards and five total touchdowns, but he threw an early interception and got off to a slow start— again.
I think he’s going to be just fine. His offensive line also does not do him any favors.
However, as we saw against the Buckeyes, he cannot wait until the second half to get going against P4 opponents. Texas can only afford one additional loss. If that.
Is Texas’ starting quarterback dealing with an injury?
I hesitate to give him a platform, but Kurt Benkert was the first person to question Arch Manning’s health at the start of the season. The former NFL backup thinks the Longhorns are hiding something.
One particular video from the win over the Spartans added fuel to Benkert’s fiery opinion.
Manning made an awful throw over the middle during the first half and missed Ryan Wingo by a pretty good margin. He immediately grimaced as soon as the ball left his hand.
— – (@Spicoli_____) September 7, 2025
Some people think it was an indication of shoulder pain. Others think it was a reaction to a bad throw. I lean toward the latter. He knew he missed his target as soon as the ball was released.
To go even one step further, Manning’s throwing motion look different in 2025 than it did in 2024.
I’m convinced Arch Manning has a Shoulder Injury or SOMETHING because going from 2024 looking effortless to 2025 looking like he is trying to throw a ball dipped in cement is WEIRD. pic.twitter.com/LLPswAGNNw
— Xen MrMarvelTV 🤝👑 (@MrMarvelTV) September 2, 2025
Perhaps he went to a more sidearm motion to take pressure off of his shoulder. Maybe it is just a mechanical issue. Either way, we would not be talking about his arm angle if it worked…
Steve Sarkisian shot down the rumors.
Texas’ head coach was asked about a possible injury to Arch Manning after the game. Steve Sarkisian brushed the concerns to the side.
“I don’t know,” he said. “News to me.”
Sark immediately moved to the next question. No further information.
Manning was also asked about the grimace. Is it just something he does without realizing?
“Probably so,” said the redshirt sophomore quarterback. “I don’t even know.”
An additional probe about the play yielded a similar non-answer.
“I got to make that throw,” Manning said. “He ran a good dig route, so I got to make that throw.”
That was it. He did not even acknowledge the idea of a possible injury. There is nothing there.