Though developmental speed bumps were expected in Columbus, Arch Manning hit a road block against the Buckeyes’ defense. The most impressive aspect of Manning’s tape from his start against Mississippi State last season was his rhythm, but he looked rhythmless Saturday. Aside from a few throws late, everything looked uncomfortable. That isn’t uncommon for an inexperienced player in a tough environment, but even completing simple drag routes was a challenge.
The overreactions will be loud and persistent this week. But Manning’s inconsistent touch and ball placement can be cleaned up once he starts to calm down his reads, which should come with added experience. With San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston (all at home) on Texas’ schedule the next three weeks, respectively, Manning will have plenty of opportunities to rediscover that promising rhythm before the SEC schedule heats up.
Plenty of successful NFL quarterbacks had rough college debuts (see the start of Joe Burrow’s LSU career), and it will be interesting to track Manning’s maturation throughout the season. For now, let’s push pause on the Manning-to-NFL draft talk.
GO FURTHER
What did Arch Manning’s performance at Ohio State mean for his NFL Draft outlook?
