What's going on with Arch Manning this season? That's the question that so many Texas football fans have on their minds after three games this season. Manning entered the campaign as the favorite to win the Heisman and he was pegged to be the No. 1 pick in next year's draft.
However, he's been struggling quite a bit and he's not even coming close to living up to the hype. Texas is ranked the No. 8 team in the country and has won back-to-back games after opening the season with the loss to Ohio State. So, what does Arch need to work on to get back to an elite level of play? Legendary head coach Nick Saban didn't mince words when asked about the young QB.
Trusted sports analyst and former QB thinks he knows why Arch Manning is struggling
Nick Saban thinks Texas QB Arch Manning needs to get back to the basics
"I think when things aren't going well for a player, you gotta go back to technical aspects of how you're trying to execute," Saban said. "His mechanics are a little off. He's throwing more side arm than he was a year ago. His footwork is not always exactly right in terms of his accuracy. I think it affects your confidence a little bit, I think he's relying a little bit too much on running now rather than reading things out. What I would say to any player on our team that was struggling, you don't practice until you get it right, you practice until you can't get it wrong. That's what you gotta do so you create the right habits so you can play with great mechanics and good fundamentals."
Tell us how you really feel, Nick. Pat McAfee followed things up there by saying he's part of the problem, as he made Manning out to be the next superstar in the making without him taking over the Texas offense for a start. Hey, a lot of us did that.
Through his first three games as QB1 for Steve Sarkisian, Manning indeed has been underwhelming. Entering the Week 4 tilt against Sam Houston State, Manning has thrown for 579 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions.
Not bad at all for a first-year starter, but when your last name is Manning, there's always going to be extra pressure out there from countless people. It's still early in the season and Manning has more than enough time to turn it all around. If you ask Saban, however, it's all about getting back to the basics for the youngster.