Eli Manning Gives Arch Advice for Remainder of Texas Season in New Video Ahead of LSU Matchup

Heading into the 2026 college football season, Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning was among the betting favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. Since then, inconsistency and questionable decision-making have cast doubt on the legacy quarterback's future.

Manning's uncle, two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning, offered his nephew some advice during an appearance on SportsCenter.

"Hey, you know, it's never going to be perfect," Eli said. "That's why you play the game. It's not always going to be smooth. Every game, every series is an opportunity to learn, to get better. You've got to learn how to just kind of take the up and downs of a game.

"There's gonna be a couple of series you have a three-and-out. Hey, you're going to throw an interception, but you're also going to make some plays. And you can never let one series kind of dictate your mindset going into the next one. And I think he's done a good job overcoming those things and just bouncing back, always being present, and being able to step up late in games and make the plays that he needs to [make]. So he's still a young quarterback. He's learning each and every week. They're playing well right now, he's in a good rhythm. Hopefully he can keep that going."

Manning led the Longhorns to the No. 1 ranking after the team's first four games, but Texas plummeted down rankings and draft boards after two consecutive losses against unranked Oklahoma and Florida.

Texas has rebounded since then, and the team picked up its third straight victory on Saturday against No. 18 Missouri. Manning threw three touchdowns with no interceptions as the Longhorns improved to a 7-2 record.

"I've been proud of Arch, of how he's handled this season," Eli said. "It hasn't been totally perfect, but they've had some big wins. You get wins against Ohio State early, you get wins on the road in the SEC, it's not easy."

The Longhorns will face the No. 21 LSU Tigers on Saturday in a game that could have massive playoff implications.