Steve Sarkisian and Holly Rowe deepfake video — Sep 2026

On September 15, 2026, Texas quarterback Arch Manning drew significant public criticism for his reaction to an AI-generated video showing his head coach, Steve Sarkisian, slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe. The incident occurred during a media session when Manning was asked about a post-game interview featuring Sarkisian and Rowe, leading him to reference the manipulated clip.

What happened

Following a comeback victory for the Longhorns over Ohio State, a short interview between Steve Sarkisian and Holly Rowe circulated online. Subsequently, an AI-generated edit of this interaction was created that depicted Sarkisian physically assaulting Rowe by slapping her. When questioned by reporters about the interview, Manning acknowledged the existence of the AI content, stating, "I've seen a few AI edits of stuff, but that's about it. I saw edits of Sark's interview ... y'all seen that one? That's a good one, of him slapping Holly Rowe."

Manning laughed while describing the video, a reaction that sparked immediate backlash on social media platforms like X. Critics expressed concern over the normalization of the violent imagery depicted in the deepfake and the lack of professional judgment shown by the player in his response. As of the time of reporting, neither Arch Manning nor the University of Texas had issued an apology or a formal statement addressing the situation.