After Quinn Ewers’ departure to the NFL, Arch Manning will be officially crowned as the Texas starter in the 2025 season. The wait by the Longhorns nation finally comes to an end since the hype around this 19-year-old quarterback has been immense.
He is constantly linked to his legendary uncles Eli and Peyton Manning and is expected to carry on their legacy in Austin.
Arch Manning Hype Is Getting Out of Bounds
Fans are hoping that Manning can lead the program to a national championship and finally put an end to their title drought since 2005. Even though he is yet to begin as a full-time starter, experts like Pete Thamel and Paul Finebaum have already started comparing him to Tim Tebow.
Comparisons are always healthy. However, when it gets out of bounds, it could lead to disappointment.
Not to jinx it, but expectations around Arch Manning’’s success at college have piled up to an unprecedented level. According to On3 analyst JD Pickell, it is necessary to give Arch a space to make a name for himself.
“Arch Manning is expected to be great next year, but Pete Thamel sat down with Paul Finebaum for an interesting discussion about the hype surrounding him and his future,” Pickell said via the On3 podcast this week.
“Finebaum made a comparison between the hype around Manning and what Tim Tebow experienced. If Arch Manning is as good as advertised, he is essentially Tim Tebow—the comparisons are obvious. Both were the number one player in their recruiting class, both had short-yardage packages early in their careers, and both had massive hype before even securing the starting job.
“The difference is that Tebow was already making an impact at Florida while they won a national title. The hype around Arch Manning might even surpass that of Tebow because Texas is on the doorstep of something big.
“The expectation for Texas fans is that if Manning is truly elite, with this roster and Steve Sarkisian as head coach, they should win a national championship. While it’s hard to say definitively if Manning will meet those expectations, the logic behind them checks out. However, the hype train should be approached with caution.
“If Manning leads Texas to an early-season win over Ohio State, the immediate narrative on ESPN will likely be, ‘Is Arch Manning the greatest Manning of all time?’ The bar for him has been set at the level of Peyton and Eli Manning since he was old enough to hold a football. The difference with Arch Manning is that he has always known exactly what he signed up for by playing quarterback,” he added.
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In 2024, the Texas Longhorns recorded a 13-3 season with a CFP Semifinal ticket for the second time in a row. This season it would be nothing less than a national championship, and Arch Manning would want to cope with the pressure mounting over him even before the season starts.
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