With Quinn Ewers getting drafted in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Texas Longhorns are officially entering their “Arch Manning era.” Hype is at an all-time high for the Longhorns and Manning specifically. While Manning comes into Texas with many knowing who he is already because of his last name, he’s setting out to write his own story.
Manning looked good in his limited time throwing the ball last season; however, this year, he is pegged to be the full-time starter. While the hype certainly surrounds Manning because of his last name, former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray isn’t completely sold on Manning yet.
Is Arch Manning Truly an Upgrade for Texas Football in 2025? Here’s What Analysts Are Seeing
Well-respected college football analyst and former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback, Aaron Murray, recently appeared on On3 Sports’ “The Hard Count” with JD PicKell. On the show, Murray questioned if Arch Manning is elite enough to lead Texas to SEC glory, but a key trait may silence the doubters in 2025.
“I’m very hesitant, I would say is the right word for me right now,” Murray says about Arch Manning. “You go back and watch Arch last year, and while there was a lot of good stuff you saw from him, there was also a lot of stuff where you were like ‘Is Arch Manning an elite thrower of the football?’ I wouldn’t say elite. I think he’s a phenomenal athlete, I think he’s a good thrower of the football. I would not characterize any part of his game to date as elite.”
“There are a lot of people, very bullish, saying he’ll be the first pick in the NFL Draft next year, and he’s a top-10 quarterback. Truly, sit me down, show me the tape, and tell me right there that looks like the number one pick in the NFL Draft, or are you just saying that because you want to grab headlines, and you’re just buying into the ‘Manning-hype’ name.”
“Listen, I will never hope bad against any quarterback. I know how difficult it is to play the position. Hell, it’s 10 times more difficult to play in today’s world with the NIL, pressures of that, plus being a Manning, the world is going to be all eyes on him, especially in the first matchup against Ohio State.”
“I’m just saying when you go back and watch the tape last year… One, the time he played was against inferior opponents that even I could have gone out there and looked fast against them. I want to see it against Ohio State. Week 1, on the road, before I buy into the hype.”
There are a lot of things Manning has to worry about in his first year as the QB1, and some new pieces on offense are just one of them. The schedule is another as Texas faces Ohio State in Week 1. After that, it eases up with games against San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston before getting into SEC play.
“Based on the tape, I’ve seen it’s a good quarterback… Is that an upgrade? Yeah, but is that a massive upgrade? Quinn got drafted in the seventh round. So an upgrade could be a quarterback who got drafted in the sixth round. That doesn’t mean you’re elite because you’re better than a guy who just got drafted in the seventh round.”
“I think he has a chance to be better. I think the fact that he’s athletic helps a ton. But to sit here and say that in his first season as a starter that Arch Manning will turn into the number one pick in the NFL Draft, I’m not buying that right now until I see it.”
KEEP READING: CFB Analyst Breaks Down Why Arch Manning Doesn’t Have To Be Elite for Texas
Texas also faces Florida, Mississippi State, and Georgia on the road this year while finishing the regular season with a home game against Texas A&M, so there is a lot of pressure around Manning. Only time will tell if he lives up to the billing or not.
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