Sep 6, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) reacts after getting hit by San Jose State Spartans linebacker Taniela Latu (4) during the second half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Sep 6, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) reacts after getting hit by San Jose State Spartans linebacker Taniela Latu (4) during the second half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
By Sam Neumann on

Steve Sarkisian compared asking about Arch Manning’s grimaces to filming someone in the bathroom, which tells you everything about how weird this whole situation has become.

The Texas head coach was asked Monday why Manning appeared to grimace while throwing against San Jose State and responded, “According to who?” When pressed with a follow-up, Sarkisian said, “I’ve never filmed you guys going to the bathroom and don’t know what that looks like.”

The bathroom comment came after a lot of speculation on social media about whether Manning is dealing with some shoulder issue. People have been analyzing his throwing motion, comparing video from this season to last year, and turning every grimace into evidence that something’s wrong.

Manning went from college football’s golden boy to damaged goods in the span of one bad game against Ohio State. He threw for 170 yards in a 14-7 loss, looked uncomfortable in the pocket, and suddenly everyone was questioning whether the hype was real.

Then came the injury theories. Former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert started pushing the idea that Texas was hiding a shoulder problem. Videos of Manning grimacing after throws became internet evidence. Fans started comparing his arm slot and release point to previous seasons.

The grimace against San Jose State — where Manning missed a receiver over the middle and immediately made a face — became the latest piece of “proof” that something was physically wrong.

Manning himself brushed off the injury talk. When asked about the grimace, he said, “Probably so. I don’t even know.” About the specific throw, he just said he needed to make it and moved on.

The whole thing shows how Manning’s last name has warped the conversation around him. Media personalities have spent months debating whether other analysts are afraid to criticize him because of his Manning connections. Robert Griffin III accused reporters of building Manning up to tear him down. Desmond Howard claimed people won’t criticize him harshly to stay in good favor with the Manning family.

Meanwhile, Manning is just a college quarterback trying to figure things out. He’s had four career starts. He struggled in his first road game against a top defense, bounced back against a weaker opponent, and will probably have ups and downs all season, like most college quarterbacks do.

But because his name is Manning, every grimace becomes a medical mystery and every bad throw becomes evidence of some conspiracy. The injury speculation is just the latest example of how impossible it is to have a normal conversation about this kid.

Maybe Manning grimaces after bad throws because he knows he missed an open receiver. Maybe he has a minor shoulder issue that doesn’t affect his play. Maybe his throwing motion changed for mechanical reasons. Maybe he’s just dealing with the normal aches and pains that come with playing quarterback.

But, according to Sarkisian, we should all stop filming people’s private moments, even those that occur on national TV during football games.

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann