Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Brian Kelly Takes Stance on Arch Manning

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Brendan Howe | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 1:23 AM ET

Brian Kelly wasn't able to keep Arch Manning in his home state. The LSU Tigers head coach is frequently reminded of that, although Garrett Nussmeier is regarded in the same echelon as — if not higher than — the Texas Longhorns signal-caller.

"Now, Manning is extremely talented, but he's got to go do it," Kelly said Tuesday on ESPN's "College GameDay Podcast." "And there's going to be a couple of days where it doesn't come out the way it's supposed to. How do you bounce back? How do you come back from that? ... I can see the assessment of Manning, he's an outstanding player. But I'll take the guy that's been in the SEC and seen what it looks like."

Manning made two starts for the Longhorns last season as Quinn Ewers was sidelined by injury. He's been analyzed ad nauseam this offseason.

"Look, we hear it every day because he's from Louisiana," Kelly said of Manning. "And listen, there's another guy that hears it all the time and that's Garrett Nussmeier. He's committed, and more than anything else, he's experienced. And in this league, you need to see the bullets flying. Ask Jayden Daniels when he threw for (80) yards against Auburn (in 2022).

"We were coming back on the plane and I told Mike Denbrock and Joe Sloan at the time, 'If we keep throwing for (80) yards, we're not going to be together very long. We need (Daniels) to develop."

Daniels wound up winning the Heisman Trophy the next season. Nussmeier followed that up by posting the most productive go-round of any first-year LSU starter. He threw for 4,052 yards, the second-most in a single season in Tigers history, and only Texas' Quinn Ewers had more passing touchdowns (31) than Nussmeier (29) in the SEC.

"All I'm saying is, Nussmeier has seen it," Kelly said. "He knows what he's going to get. There's a confidence he'll bring each and every game through experience, maybe even through some scar tissue, that's going to allow him to be, I believe, the best quarterback."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: