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Detailed view of the jersey of Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Dan Orlovsky names the best quarterback in the country and it’s not Arch Manning

Originally posted on NIL on SI | By JC Shelton | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 4:44 PM ET

The hype around Texas star quarterback Arch Manning is palpable headed into the 2025 season, but according to former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky, there is another name that is leading the charge among college football's top quarterbacks.

Top-tier talent and a legendary family legacy make Manning one of the game's most recognizable names as the former five-star prepares for his first full season as a starter following the departure of Quinn Ewers to the NFL.

Manning has the physical tools at 6-foot-4, 219 pounds, with a live arm and a knack for gaining yards as a ball carrier. However, with just two starts to his name as a redshirt sophomore, Manning has a lot to prove with the Longhorns.

It wouldn't be a surprise for Manning to succeed, too. Texas returns one of the most talented rosters in the nation (No. 1 in blue-chip ratio) and is coming off back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances, the only team to do so over the last two seasons.

Orlovsky understands the anticipation around Manning-led Texas, but it's LSU's Garrett Nussmeier that should be regarded, for now, as the best player at the position with South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers also in the conversation.

“(Arch Manning) absolutely has to be the best quarterback, because they are the favorite in Texas to win the national championship,” Orlovsky said Monday on ESPN's "Get Up." “No. 2, the best quarterback in the country that no one talks about is in Columbia, South Carolina. LaNorris Sellers. I would agree that probably the best quarterback in the country now, right now, is Garrett Nussmeier."

Sellers earned Freshman All-America and SEC Freshman of the Year honors after leading the Gamecocks to their first 9-win season since 2017.

This select group also happens to include three of the highest-valued college football players in terms of NIL. Manning leads the nation at $6.8 million with Nussmeier ($3.8 million) and Sellers ($3.7 million) ranking in the top five.

Who has the highest NIL valuation on every preseason college football Top 25 team?

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The most experienced out of the bunch is Nussmeier, who has 31 career appearances and 14 starts under his belt as a fifth-year senior. The former four-star out of Flower Mound, Texas, led the SEC in passing as a full-time starter in 2024 after backing up Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.

“Arch Manning is more than likely going to be awesome, but we don’t know about Arch Manning," Orlovsky said. "I’ve seen Nuss, late in games, 3rd-and-9, have to make a big throw and get it done. I watched the LaNorris Sellers finish with four straight wins for South Carolina in the SEC, and go for over 300 yards a game."

“I think Arch has got this expectation, and there’s probably no quarterback in the country under more pressure than Arch Manning," Orlovsky continued. "But there are five or six other quarterbacks that are much more proven, at least right now in college football.”

Instead of declaring for this year's NFL Draft, Nussmeier chose to stay at LSU another season with an aim at a playoff berth. The Tigers, coming off a 9-4 season, signed one of the nation's top transfer class and rank ninth in blue-chip ratio this year.

Both Nussmeier and Manning will begin the season off with tough tasks, with road trips to Clemson and Ohio State, respectively. A head-turning showing in those games could provide an early look at this year's Heisman Trophy race.

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

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