Tom Brady is aware of a factor or two about overcoming adversity, and he is defending Texas redshirt sophomore quarterback Arch Manning within the wake of the Longhorns’ Week 1 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
On Saturday, No. 3 Ohio State defeated No. 1 Texas 14-7 in Columbus. It was one of the vital extremely anticipated non-conference video games in recent times, with Manning receiving a lot of the eye.
The 21-year-old QB wasn’t nice in Week 1, though he nonetheless has loads of time to place forth a stable 2025 marketing campaign, Brady says.
Talking with NFL analyst Cris Collinsworth on the “Professional Soccer Focus” podcast, Brady stated that if Manning makes use of his subpar efficiency and Texas’ loss “to his benefit, he’ll be more durable for it. He’ll have a greater subsequent sport due to it.”
Brady gained a file seven Tremendous Bowl titles throughout his legendary NFL profession. Nonetheless, in faculty, he needed to grind it out to finally earn the beginning quarterback job at Michigan as a junior.
Even then, he needed to hold combating to stay QB1 for the Wolverines, and was infamously a sixth-round decide (199th general) of the 2000 draft. Undeniably, overcoming adversity served Brady nicely in faculty after which within the execs.
On the “Professional Soccer Focus” podcast, Brady added, “I all the time felt such as you’ve bought to take care of plenty of adversity, from a quarterback standpoint, to toughen you as much as be the true chief for the group.”
Whereas Manning comes from a well-known quarterback household and was the No. 1 nationwide prospect within the 2023 class, all of the fanfare surrounding him earlier than this season was arguably overblown and unfair to him.
He had solely appeared in 12 video games and thrown 95 passes for the Longhorns earlier than 2025. But, Manning was named a preseason first-team All-American, whereas some anointed him the Heisman Trophy favourite. Manning has additionally garnered buzz as a possible No. 1 decide within the 2026 NFL Draft.
So, after Ohio State’s stout protection smothered Manning, commentators started speaking about how the quarterback and his program might not be the numerous School Soccer Playoff contender that many felt they have been within the preseason.
“This can be a crew that may get it again collectively and win the SEC,” nationwide analyst Brad Crawford stated on the “CBS Sports activities HQ” program. “However, I am most likely not selecting that any longer after seeing what occurred on Saturday.”
That appears a tad short-sighted. Texas, which is now No. 7 on this week’s Related Press top-25 ballot, has solely performed one sport. Manning went 17-of-30 for 170 yards final Saturday, with one landing and one interception, speeding 10 instances for 38 yards.
Not good, however not terrible, both. Plus, Texas was enjoying on the highway in opposition to the defending nationwide champion. Neither crew was stellar on offense.
The Longhorns’ subsequent three encounters are in opposition to San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston State, giving Manning and his teammates a couple of weeks to work on issues earlier than the meat of their Southeastern Convention docket.
“Arch Manning is gonna be a freaking famous person,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney stated. “And those who don’t imagine that, they’re simply silly.”
