Arch Manning was among the most hyped players in the last decade during the 2025 college football offseason. While analysts like Paul Finebaum declared him the future Heisman trophy winner, he seemed to struggle in the first few weeks of the games.
Despite the early struggle, Manning was able to turn the tables around and show off his talent, leading his team to a 9-3 record, barely missing out on the Playoffs this year. In a recent conversation on the “SEC Mike” on December 21st, Michael Bratton doubled down on his take from september saying that Mateer is everything the media told people Arch Manning was:
“Wtf this is objectively hilarious.” one fan reacted.
“That’s wild because the entire country watched Arch progress rapidly throughout the season while Mateer regressed heavily. Just say you have bias next time bro it’s alright.” another fan commented.
“Lol, nah, now you’re just being stubborn. Early season, Arch? OK, yes, Mateer was better. But second half of season, Arch outplayed Mateer and showed more consistency!.” another fan picked Manning over Mateer.
“Based on…what exactly? H2H? The fact that he regressed while Arch progressed during the season? Arch had his struggles for sure, but he also turned it around and ended the season on a high note, while Mateer did the opposite. I’m really not sure how you can rank Mateer>Arch.” another fan questioned.
“arch looked better and had better stats… how is it even possible to rank mateer higher?” another fan wrote.
“I guess making it to the playoff is the new marker for success. It used to be all that mattered was winning a national championship. Now the bar is “we played in the playoffs.” another fan said.
Kinda odd to call out a QB that led his team to the Playoff while yours took you to the Cheez It Bowl
I still would rank John Mateer over Arch Manning based on this season’s performances https://t.co/BL7TdAMYiu
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) December 21, 2025
Steve Sarkisian Weighs In on Arch Manning’s Decision To Stay at Texas in 2026
Arch Manning was projected to be the No.1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft even before playing a full season as a starter at Texas.
While Manning gave a cryptic response about a question on his plans during the start of the season and said he’s taking it day by day, his dad, Cooper Manning, told ESPN via a text that the Longhorns QB is coming back to the program for another year.
Talking about Manning’s decision, Sarkisian said during the media event in Orlando, Florida, for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, that he believes Manningis a young man who has gotten better throughout the season, not just physically but even mentally and maturity-wise.
“I would think he’s going to want another year of that growth to put himself in position for hopefully a long career in the NFL. And he’s got some unfinished business of what he came here to do and what he came here to accomplish.” Sarkisian said.
Texas is gearing up to take on Michigan on December 31st for the Cheez-It Bowl game.
Read more – Quinn Ewers’ GF Madelyn Barnes Shares 3-Word Message For Oklahoma Amid CFP Showdown vs Alabama
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