Alabama fans troll Texas freshman QB Arch Manning on ESPN’s College GameDay for picking Longhorns over Tide: ‘ARCH CHOSE WRONG’

Arch Manning has yet to take a snap for Texas but has already caught some flak from Alabama fans ahead of what turned out to be an unusual outcome in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night, as the Longhorns defeated the Crimson Tide, 34-24.

A few fans who appeared on the live broadcast of ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ showed off handmade signs that criticized the 18-year-old’s decision to commit to Texas over ‘Bama in 2022, referring to his choice as a missed opportunity to win a national championship. 

‘ARCH CHOSE WRONG,’ one poster read, with the first letter of Manning first name replaced by Alabama’s logo. 

Another placard shared by College Gameday’s official Twitter account revealed that Manning lost two items since enrolling at Texas: a ‘UT Student ID’ and ‘A Chance at the Nattys,’ alluding to a story from earlier this year when Manning appeared to lose his student ID card in his first week of college classes and someone uploading a photo of it online.

Alabama fans were targeting Manning with their trolling despite the teen, who was ranked as the No. 1 quarterback of his class, according to 247Sports – starting the season as Quinn Ewers’ backup at quarterback for Texas. 

Another sign claimed Manning made the wrong decision by choosing Texas over Alabama

Manning warmed up before Texas’ game against Rice last Saturday but didn’t end up playing 

Manning didn’t get any minutes under his belt in the Longhorns’ season-opening win against Rice, even though head coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters postgame that he ‘had all intentions of playing Arch in that game.’ 

‘I didn’t think that the fourth quarter would go as fast as it did,’ Sarkisian said, per On3.com. ‘And then I didn’t want to put him in there for the last minute and a half and use a game on that.’ 

If Manning plays in more than five games for Texas this season then program would be ineligible to use a redshirt year on the freshman and nephew of Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton and Eli Manning. 

Manning wearing Alabama’s colors while touring the school as a senior in high school last year

Manning, who’s the son of Cooper, showed that his overall game needs improvement in his first spring game with the Longhorns earlier this year, as he only completed 5-0f-13 passes for 30 yards, although Sarkisian later insisted that the youngster is on ‘the right trajectory,’ disregarding any concerns about Manning’s adjustment. 

Nonetheless, it remains unclear when Manning will take the field this season. 

Texas is ranked No. 11 in the AP Top 25 poll, while Alabama is the No. 3 seed. 

The last time that both teams met, the Crimson Tide emerged victorious by fine margins in Austin, winning 20-19. 

Earlier this summer, Ewers and Manning showed off their abs ahead of the start of the season in a viral photo online.