Before the 2025 season, new starting Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning was being compared to former Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow a lot. Now that Manning is struggling at the helm of the Texas offense, Tebow has some words of encouragement for the UT QB.
Tebow has been there. The former Heisman Trophy winner was one of the most hyped quarterbacks of all time. And he lived up to the hype, delivering two national titles to Gainesville.
Manning has only started five career games. They hype around him before the season was probably overwhelming. Now that he’s struggled, all the analysts that told us he’d be the greatest are making him a punchline. It would be hard for anyone to handle.
“I’d just encourage him. Like, ‘Man, you’re a gifted player. You’re a really good player. You just need to be encouraged. Remember it for the love of the game.’ He’s at a location right now with great coaches and great players around him.” – Tim Tebow
Tebow understands the pressure Manning is under at a huge program like Texas with millions of fans and expectations of a national title. Pressure impacts even the greatest athletes.
“There’s just a lot of pressure. And the pressure is real. And it’s hard to sometimes explain that to people. And one of the easier examples I would try use, is look at the PGA Tour/LIV Golf, right. When they show up on Thursday and they’ve had practice rounds, look at scores. But then look at the scores at the same course on Sunday. What’s the difference? You’ve played it more. The only difference is it’s Sunday pressure.” – Tim Tebow
The former Gator has a lot of admiration for Manning. Tebow respects the way Arch has carried himself, both when he was hailed a the second coming and now that the offense has had tough games.
“I have really appreciated the way he’s carried himself for three years now. I appreciate has handled it as a teammate with Quinn. And when he took over, even the way he’s handled some of the disappointments. I think he’s a great example of someone that’s handled hype and criticism. He hasn’t pointed fingers. He’s just handled it really well.” – Tim Tebow
Like most serious analysts, Tebow believes Manning will come out of his funk and thrive. It’s just a matter of when.
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