Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) carries the ball for a first down in the second quarter as the Texas Longhorns play the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semi-final at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Jan. 10, 2025. Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

College Football's Top 2025 QBs: Where Does Texas Longhorns' Arch Manning Rank?

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Emma Hutchinson | Last updated Jan 23, 2025 4:43 PM ET

The excitement surrounding the induction of Arch Manning as the starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns continues to grow with the accumulation of preseason team and individual rankings ahead of a highly-anticipated 2025 season.

With Manning at the helm, Texas is predicted to be the best team in the nation and therefore one of the top contenders for the 2026 national title. Manning himself has already been named a Heisman Trophy front runner, with Bleacher Report projecting that he'll be a legendary college football athlete in the next 25 years.

On3 has added another prediction to the list, ranking Manning as the No. 4 best quarterback next season.

"Manning was good enough in his relief action at quarterback early in the 2024 season that there were at least some calls for him to take over as the starter late in the year," On3 wrote. "Steve Sarkisian stuck with Quinn Ewers, of course, but the luxury to have a backup as capable as Manning was unmistakable. The freshman phenom threw for 939 yards and nine touchdowns. He threw only two interceptions. He also ran for four scores. It’ll be the Arch Manning show at quarterback in 2025, so buckle up."

The redshirt freshman gave college football fans a preview of his talents in 2024 after relieving starting junior quarterback Quinn Ewers against UTSA, who went down early with an abdomen injury. Manning started in the following two games against ULM and Mississippi State, and across those three games, he threw for 806 yards and eight touchdowns with just two interceptions. His performance against UTSA garnered him SEC Co-Freshman of the Week, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week, and Davey O'Brien Great 8 accolades.

His dual-threat abilities as a passer and rusher made Manning a dangerous backup to Ewers, especially when it came to fourth downs, and will equally look to wreak havoc in the program's second year within the SEC. Manning ran in four touchdowns last season and accumulated over 100 rushing yards in five games, including a season-high 67-yard rushing touchdown against UTSA.

Goldkamp ranked Texas' Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl opponent Arizona State's returning quarterback Sam Leavitt at No. 1, ahead of Penn State's Drew Altar, Florida's DJ Lagway, and Manning.

Manning was recruited by the Longhorns as the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2023, and now is the time for him to prove that he carries the legacy written in his name.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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