Texas Longhorns star Arch Manning is set to begin his first season as a starting quarterback at the college level, but he is already one of the most high-profile players in the country.
Even though he has served as a backup quarterback for his first two years at Texas, the hype surrounding Manning heading into this debut season as a full-time starter is off the charts.
Whether it’s his high-profile last name that he shares with his football-famous uncles, five-star pedigree, or some combination of both, Manning is the talk of the country as the first weekend of college football begins.
Famous Last Name
If you thought the last name sounded familiar, you would be correct. Arch is the nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning.
Peyton was a first-ballot Hall of Famer after a dominant career with the Indianapolis Colts as well as a Super Bowl title with the Denver Broncos in his final season. Eli, of course, won two Super Bowl titles with the New York Giants.
Those are obviously some big shoes to fill, and the last name has certainly added to the hype.
A Different Style Than His Uncles
While both Peyton and Eli became known for their passing ability, they were certainly not threats to run the football. That is not the case for Arch, who is very much a mobile quarterback.
In fact, throughout the season last year, Texas often inserted Manning into the game in place of Ewers to take advantage of his running ability in short-yardage or red zone situations.
Throughout the 2024 season, Manning had 25 attempts for 104 yards and four touchdowns.
Five-Star Pedigree
Manning did not get this hype just because of his last name, however.
Coming out of high school, Manning was the most sought-after player in the entire country. Ranked as the consensus No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 recruiting class, Manning signed with the Texas Longhorns out of high school.
Though he was not the starter during his first two seasons at Texas, sitting behind starter Quinn Ewers, he did play an important role, filling in for Ewers last season for multiple games after an injury. He also played several snaps throughout the season as a change-of-pace option as Texas made use of his running ability.
In his 10 appearances last year, Manning completed 67.8% of his passes for 939 yards and nine touchdowns, along with four touchdowns on the ground.
Heisman Favorite
Given all the hype surrounding his name, the potential he showed coming out of high school, and the way he performed last season, Manning is the consensus Heisman Trophy favorite heading into the first week of college football.
Before the start of the season, DraftKings has Manning leading the field with +650 odds, while FanDuel has him leading the way with +700 odds. Most other sportsbooks and casinos have similar odds, but one thing is consistent – Manning is at the top.
Projected as Top Pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
Manning hasn’t even begun his first season as a starting quarterback yet and has certainly not made a decision about whether or not he will enter the NFL Draft after this year. In fact, his grandfather seems to think that he will be back at Texas next year, no matter what.
However, that isn’t stopping NFL Draft experts from placing him at the top of their NFL Draft boards, anyway.
In his most recent mock draft, NFL insider Field Yates of ESPN projected that the Cleveland Browns would select Manning with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“Manning has a very good build, throws with accuracy to all levels of the field and shows solid movement traits. He’s a different QB than his uncles Peyton and Eli were in that he is a threat with his legs. He is inexperienced and needs to add more weight to his 6-foot-4 frame, but it’s easy to see his immense ceiling,” Yates wrote on ESPN.com. “I know the Browns just drafted two passers this year, but if they are picking first overall next year, then yes, they’ll be taking a quarterback.”
There’s a long college football season before we have to worry about any potential NFL Draft decisions from Manning, but the talk is already out there.
Debut Start in a Hostile Environment
While Manning did start two games in place of Ewers last year, his first game as a full-time starting quarterback comes on Saturday afternoon, and it will be a big test right out of the gate.
On Saturday at noon, Manning and the Longhorns travel to Columbus, Ohio, to face the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes – the team that ended Texas’ season in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff last year.
Manning obviously has a lot of hype heading into that game. We’ll have to see how he handles it.
