Despite never playing a full college season as a starting quarterback, Texas’s Arch Manning is viewed by many fans and analysts as one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. However, there are still many who are not buying into the hype. Notably, star NFL QB Aaron Rodgers’ brother, Jordan Rodgers, has been less high on Manning.
Notably, on Monday, on an appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show,” Rodgers said he has Manning as the fifth-best quarterback in the SEC.
“I love Arch,” Jordan Rodgers said. “I have him as the fifth-best quarterback in the SEC… I think everybody got on the hype train because of what we saw in limited action. I think we just need to put that in perspective. It was against UTSA, Louisiana-Monroe, and the worst defense in the SEC last year, Mississippi State.”
This led to a big response from Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian during his appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show” on Tuesday.
“There’s this idea in college football, like we get to celebrate this really cool sport that we have,” Sarksisian said. “You guys get to talk about it. You can say Arch Manning’s the greatest quarterback since Tim Tebow and Jordan [Rodgers] is gonna come on here and say he’s hot garbage.”
As a result of Sarkisian’s comments, Rodgers clarified his comments, emphasizing that he still likes Manning as a quarterback but just thinks he is overhyped.
ESPN’s Jordan Rodgers calls out Paul Finebaum’s Arch Manning ‘Kool-Aid’ https://t.co/0BWCXeZjSK
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 14, 2025
“Let me clarify what I think about Arch,” Rodgers said. “I had him as my fifth-best quarterback in the SEC and people lost their minds over that. I think the hype is a little overblown right now. I’ve also simultaneously said, I think he has the highest floor, maybe, of any SEC quarterback because you know exactly who he’s going to be.”
Arch Manning Ranks Behind Four SEC Quarterbacks, According to Jordan Rodgers
Jordan Rodgers did not have Arch Manning at the top of his SEC quarterback rankings like many other analysts. Instead, he had him behind four other SEC quarterbacks. While some people might view this as disrespectful, it emphasizes the strength of the quarterback position in the SEC.
Rodgers has LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier as the No. 1-ranked QB in the SEC. He then has Florida’s DJ Lagway, followed by South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers and Oklahoma’s John Mateer, ahead of Arch Manning.
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