You won’t find Texas quarterback Arch Manning complaining about the outside noise that had him described as a potential ‘flop’ last week leading up to the Oklahoma game.
Known for his calm demeanor when discussing his time playing college football, handling interviews like his uncle Peyton and Eli, or even his grandfather Archie, there’s not much that has Arch flushed, outside the stadium.
Last week was the perfect example of him not paying attention to the noise created after losing to Florida on the road.
What did he do? Manning went right back to work, looking to improve in areas that could help the Longhorns’ offense succeed, especially with a battle against Oklahoma looming.
And while he did not light up the box score in the win over the rival Sooners, he handled the situation like a quarterback that is starting to come into his own in Austin.
But, he sure looked like a young man figuring out what it takes to stay competitive at this level.
As for that outside noise that made its way around social media and the airwaves across the country, Arch is all for folks speaking their minds, even if he had no idea it was actually occurring.
“I feel like I try to do my best to block out the noise, and then you get 100 text messages ‘Keep blocking out the noise’. There must be a lot of noise,” Arch Manning jokingly told reporters. ”
When asked whether he was aware of the conversation around one outlet discussing whether he was a ‘flop’ or not, the young Longhorns quarterback mentioned that he was clueless about the chatter.
“I didn’t know that, but I do now,” Arch mentioned. “I mean, look, I wasn’t playing well. I wanna continue to get better, but everyone has their own opinion. That’s what’s good about America, freedom of speech. So, it doesn’t bother me.”
That right there is a guy who has had media training and taken it to heart. There were plenty of answers he could’ve given, and we’ve seen a number of players latch on to the narrative, which only affects them on the field from a mental standpoint.
But as we continue to learn more about him, as he continues to grow, there will be plenty of further opportunities for him to pay no mind to what those like myself say about his play on the field.
Now, the focus shifts toward a matchup with Kentucky this weekend, as Texas needs to continue winning in order to be a college football playoff contender. It’s highly unlikely that Steve Sarkisian will be coaching for a national title opportunity if the Longhorns drop another game this season.
But, at least Texas fans know that their starting quarterback isn’t fazed by what folks like myself are saying, which only contributes to that ‘outside noise’.
Oh, and once again, it’s way too early to judge Manning as a college football ‘flop’. But I could’ve told you that last week before the conversation even started.
