"I've never sold any stock in him": Jon Gruden makes eye-catching prediction for Arch Manning ahead of Texas vs Kentucky showdown

Texas QB Arch Manning had a jittery start to his 2025 season with an opening game loss to Ohio State on the road. All the preseason hype and expectations backfired, with football experts calling him out for poor performance. After last week's win over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry, the young passer drew praise from the very same analysts who criticized him.

Former NFL coach Jon Gruden, who recently analyzed the quarterback’s games, mentioned that the Oklahoma game will prove to be a launching pad for Manning in coming weekends. He claimed that the QB looked extremely different in terms of playing style and dynamics.

The veteran coach was speaking on the Pardon My Take podcast, where he mentioned the QB's skills and how he has developed in the last couple of games.

“I like Arch. I think that was a signature win for him against Oklahoma. Down the stretch, they’re 10-for-13 on third down. The touchdown pass on 3rd and 8 from the 12-yard line. He ends the game with a scramble. I think that’s a great launching pad for Arch,” Gruden said on Friday.

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He also mentioned not having given up on the QB despite criticism from all across the college football fraternity.

“I’ve never sold any stock in him. I was disappointed, obviously, because the expectations are so high. And you open up at Ohio State against Matt Patricia. It’s not like Arch had a ton of tape to study on Matt Patricia. That’s about as hard as it gets for anybody,” he added.

Steve Sarkisian shares update on Arch Manning ahead of Kentucky game

This weekend, the Longhorns will enter the field in hopes of securing a big win over the Kentucky Wildcats at home. Even though Texas are clear favorites to win the game, coach Steve Sarkisian mentioned that none of his players, including Manning were lethargic.

“What I've seen from him (Manning), which is pretty indicative of the entire team, is nobody is taking a sigh of relief, nobody is saying we've made it,” Sarkisian said to the reporters earlier this week.

In order to keep the playoff aspirations alive, it is essential for Manning to win each and every game in the upcoming weekends.

The two losses this season might hurt Texas during the playoff selection committee's rankings; however, Sark & Co. needs to make sure they are not losing any other games in 2025.

Edited by Deepesh Nair