Shannon Sharpe: "Arch Manning is not generational": Shannon Sharpe goes scorched earth on Texas QB for struggling massively vs. Ohio State

Arch Manning’s debut as the Texas Longhorns' starting quarterback against Ohio State didn't go as planned. Shannon Sharpe criticized the hype around the 21-year-old as the Longhorns fell 14-7 in a defense-laden game at “The Shoe.”

Sharpe ripped into Manning’s inability to make his presence felt and declared that the Texas QB is not "generational."

"Everybody keeps saying that he’s generational, bro, we’ve got to start with this generational stuff," Sharpe said. "He’s not. When you face teams like Ohio State and Alabama, that’s the real test. And right now, it’s not good enough."

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"He's going to have to be much better... If you can look at him and say, well, 'he's generational,' well, we've got different definitions of what generational is," Sharpe added.

Late in the fourth quarter, with Texas driving to tie the game, he overthrew Ryan Wingo on a short crossing route on 3rd-and-5. The Longhorns failed to convert on fourth down, effectively sealing Steve Sarkisian's team's fate.

Also read: "Stop glazing people because of their name" - Arch Manning’s poor 2025 debut draws nepotism criticism from Deshaun Watson’s coach

NFL analyst weighs Arch Manning's NFL potential

Arch Manning entered the 2025 CFB season with high expectations. His horrific showing against Ohio State has put a dent on his NFL potential. Manning struggled to find rhythm, which left analysts questioning the hype surrounding his famous last name. NFL analyst Michael David Smith said:

"It’s only one game, but Manning’s performance today raises questions about whether he’s really an elite pro prospect, or if he was overhyped because of his last name."

Manning comes from the legendary lineage of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning.

"Ohio State is the defending national champion and may prove to be the best team in college football this year, too. But it was a poor showing for a big-name quarterback whose play didn't live up to the name," Smith said.

Archie Manning previously hinted his grandson might need to wait until after 2026 to enter the NFL draft. After this outing, that timeline may prove wise.

Also read: Arch Manning’s shaky start during Texas Longhorns vs Ohio State gets blasted by former Broncos Super Bowl champ

About the author

Prasen is an NFL/College Sports analyst at Sportskeeda. A B.Tech/Civil Engineering graduate, he has two years of experience writing content.

For Prasen, providing historical angles relevant to the story is important, as it can give the reader useful information and help them relate it to the present. He thinks this keeps the content unique rather than just a bland reporting of facts. Prasen believes in fact-checking and researching relevant information as per the headline and context. He hates clickbait or misleading the reader.

A fan of the Colorado Buffaloes since Deion Sanders took over as coach, Prasen expects Coach Prime to make the Buffs a national championship contender. Nick Saban is his favorite all-time coach, while Baker Mayfield and Caitlin Clark are his favorite players. Prasen considers Vince Young coming up clutch for the Texas Longhorns in the dying seconds of the 2017 national championship game against the USC Trojans as the most iconic moment of all time.

Per Prasen, College Sports is competitive and garners attention but it is just the beginning, where a student-athlete can show their skills and potential to make it to the big leagues. When he is not researching and writing, Prasen’s hobbies include pursuing higher studies and playing sports.

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Edited by Prasen