TLDR: Former Texas Longhorns quarterback, Colt McCoy, compares the hype surrounding high school phenom Arch Manning to that of his former teammate, Garrett Gilbert. McCoy cautions against placing unrealistic expectations on Manning, drawing from Gilbert’s experience at Texas where high expectations led to fan backlash. While praising Manning’s potential, McCoy stresses the importance of patience with the young quarterback.

When it comes to the overwhelming hype surrounding a young backup quarterback, few understand the phenomenon better than Colt McCoy, the former Texas Longhorns signal-caller. While McCoy himself did not experience the same level of hype, his former teammate Garret Gilbert did. Gilbert arrived at Texas with lofty expectations, seen as the next in line to follow the successful path of McCoy and Vince Young, who led the Longhorns to a national title.

However, Gilbert’s time at Texas failed to live up to the sky-high expectations set upon him. Over a span of three seasons and 24 games, he threw for 13 touchdowns and 23 interceptions before ultimately transferring to SMU. Reflecting on the situation, McCoy sees parallels between the way Gilbert was hyped and talked about before joining the Longhorns and the current buzz surrounding Texas’ freshman phenom, Arch Manning.

During an appearance on Barstool’s Pardon My Take podcast, McCoy admitted to having spent time around Manning and drew similarities between Manning’s situation and Gilbert’s experience. McCoy acknowledged that Gilbert, a high school standout from Lake Travis, had an impressive career before stepping foot on campus, with an undefeated record. This early acclaim, however, meant that when Gilbert faced challenges like throwing interceptions or losing home games, fans swiftly turned against him, despite these setbacks not necessarily being solely his fault. The immense expectations placed upon him simply became too much to bear.

McCoy now senses a similar energy from the fan base when discussing Manning. The freshman quarterback, who comes from a football dynasty as the grandson of Archie Manning and nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, made his debut for Texas in the team’s season finale against Texas Tech. With the departure of Maalik Murphy to the transfer portal, Manning is expected to be the next in line after Quinn Ewers transitions to the NFL. McCoy speaks highly of Manning’s potential but emphasizes the need for patience with the young quarterback.

While recognizing the excitement and promise that Manning brings to the table, McCoy urges caution in placing excessive pressure on the rising star. Drawing from Gilbert’s experience, where sky-high expectations ultimately turned fans against him, McCoy stresses that allowing Manning time to develop and adapt is crucial. With realistic expectations and support from the fan base, the talented and highly touted young quarterback has the potential to flourish and carve out his own path at the University of Texas. By tempering the hype and allowing Manning to grow at his own pace, Longhorns fans can help cultivate an environment that fosters success and longevity for their promising quarterback.