Texas quarterback Arch Manning is heading into his first season as the starter for the Longhorns. Despite, that he is arguably the most hyped up QB in the nation. There are many who already view him as the best QB in college football. He is among the Heisman favorites and is expected to help the Longhorns compete for the national championship.
Despite that, when the Manning Award watch list was released on Thursday, it did not include Arch Manning. The award goes to the top QB in college football. It is possible that this is because Manning has seen relatively little playing time in college despite his high expectations. It also could be because the Manning family is trying to appear unbiased.
Texas QB Arch Manning was not named to the, ahem, Manning Award watch list 👀
The Manning Award recognizes the top QBs in college football. pic.twitter.com/Hhb4MrAbd6
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 14, 2025
After this was revealed, fans reacted in the comments on X, one even joking that it is a good thing it is not the Sanders award.
“Good thing it’s not the Sanders Award,” one fan wrote.
“Well he hasn’t started a season yet. They put people on that at this point in time deserve it. He hasn’t played. He hasn’t earned it. The Mannings aren’t espn hype train. They want people to earn it. Arch will. As of now. He hasn’t. All that is,” one fan commented.
“The Mannings own the award right? Common sense says they intentionally left his name out,” one fan added.
Fans continued to react in the comments.
“It is not uncommon for contrect to exclude employees and family of the company holding that contest. If he were eligible to and did win there would definitely be accusations of inpropriety and nepotism. This prevents that,” one fan wrote.
“Maybe they want to avoid any hint of bias,” one fan commented.
“He’s never proven anything,” one fan added.
Arch Manning Is the Preseason Heisman Favorite
Despite being left off the Manning Award watch list, Arch Manning is still viewed by most as one of the best QBs in the nation. According to betting markets, he is the preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. On FanDuel, he has +700 odds, which puts him ahead of his next two closest contenders, Clemson QB Cade Klubnik and LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier, who have +900 odds.
Fans will see early in the season if Manning is living up to the hype. The Longhorns start their season with a tough matchup against Ohio State on Aug. 30.
Read More:
- Arch Manning’s Dad Cooper Manning Sends Blunt 3-Word Message to Paul Finebaum’s Massive Claims About Texas QB
- Mel Kiper Jr. Pushes Back On Archie Manning’s NFL Draft Claims For Arch Manning, Names Key Factor “Eli and Peyton Didn’t Have”
- Former Heisman Winner Cam Newton Drops Verdict on Arch Manning Potentially Repeating Uncle Eli’s NFL Draft Power Move
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