A narrative that has existed for the last couple of years that centers on Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning has finally been put to rest according to On3 college football analyst JD Pickell.
When Manning signed with Texas during the 2023 recruiting cycle, he was rated in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 1 overall recruit in the nation.
A seemingly large number of folks -- fans and media analysts -- have spent the last couple of years suggesting that Manning was only rated that high because of his famous last name.
The one thing that those folks like to consistently point to in support of their narrative is that Manning didn't play against strong high school competition in New Orleans.
On Saturday, Manning buried all of those narratives with his massive showing in the Longhorns' spring game.
Manning completed 19-of-26 of passes for 355 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. That includes a 75-yard touchdown that looked effortless from the young quarterback.
After Manning's big performance in Texas' spring game, Pickell took to social media to declare that it's time for the "Arch Manning would've been a three-star with a different last name" narrative to end.
"Very tough day for the Arch Manning is overrated crowd," said Pickell. "Because he went out there, 19-for-26, over 300 yards, three touchdowns. Ran the offense really efficiently. A lot of folks are going to say two things -- one, it was a spring game. Two, they're going to say [that there were] a lot of busted coverages.....the point has never been 'Arch Manning's going to win the Heisman Trophy'. The point is, last year, when he struggled in the spring game, and it was practice 15 and he was supposed to still be in high school, people were just ignoring the context. And now, they want to shout about the context within his performance.
"I'm just telling you, I think the thought that he was somehow overrated and that he would have been a three-star if his last name wasn't Manning, that was always a ridiculous thought. And I think yesterday he put a lot of those critics back in their place....Arch Manning, definitely not a three-star, proved it yesterday."
It's never wise to put much stock into a spring game, which is essentially just a glorified practice. But at the same time, Manning's natural talent is evident. And it's understandable that Texas fans are extremely excited about the future of quarterback position in Austin with Manning set to take over in 2025.
Whether or not Manning will win a Heisman or be the top selection in the NFL draft is up for debate. It's far too early to make any wild predictions for a quarterback that has zero career starts. But the talent is obviously there. And the pedigree is as well. Manning is deserving of the hype, but he'll have to find a way to live up to the hype once he gets his chance in games that count.
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