Things are not going well in Austin right now. Quarterback Arch Manning seems to be holding onto his starting position by a thread, and the media is certainly calling for him to be benched.
Former Georgia legend and SEC analyst David Pollack took time to chime in on Manning, and Texas fans probably won't love what he thinks about the Manning legacy.
No player at this point in college football wants to be compared to Bryce Underwood at Michigan. The former No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 recruiting class has officially been benched in Ann Arbor, and Pollack is thinking Steve Sarkisian should seriously consider following suit.
Is Arch Manning at risk of being benched? pic.twitter.com/jHGxWkVftV
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One of the biggest points that Pollack made was comparing Manning to Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton. While Stockton may not have been the best quarterback when he started in Athens, he has progressed each season and is now leading the Bulldogs to potentially another SEC title.
Manning even got the chance to sit his first two seasons and learn and develop, something many five-star QBs, including Underwood at Michigan, don't get. Even with the ability to do it and learn, Manning isn't putting it together, but it is fully on him - or does Sark have a part in this as well?
Sark's quarterback track record at Texas isn't doing him any favors
There is something to say about a quarterback who is able to go out on the field and play freely. Manning hasn't played that way this season, even in games where the Longhorns were the clear favorite. Pollack took note of that as well: Manning simply doesn't look like he is having fun on the field.
A lot of that goes on Sark: the ability to enjoy the game, the development of talent, and getting this team where it needs to be. Everyone wants to say that as long as the talent is there, Texas will be fine. Well, the talent is there, and the Longhorns can't seem to figure it out.
Looking at Manning and even Quinn Ewers before him, Sark has had the talent at quarterback. It comes down to developing that talent, but Sark has failed to do so with Manning, and he did with Ewers as well.
I get it, Ewers had other problems with injuries that probably mask the problems with Sark, but Manning has stayed fairly healthy throughout his career, so what is the excuse this time?
There is no evidence coming out of Austin that Sark is going to bench Manning, other than the fact that backup QB KJ Lacey Jr. is taking snaps in practice. Something has to give for the Longhorns, and that could be benching Manning, but the risk of him leaving is great if that happens.
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