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SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum looks on prior to the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Missouri Tigers at Kyle Field. Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Paul Finebaum Jumps off Arch Manning Hype Train

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Ylver Deleon-Rios | Last updated Sep 14, 2025 3:30 PM ET

The 2025 season had preseason expectations surrounding the Texas Longhorns not seen since Mack Brown was on the sidelines and Vince Young was under center, with many having those beliefs growing because of who would be the Longhorns' new signal caller in quarterback Arch Manning.

Many were bought into the Manning "hype train," none bigger than longtime ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum, who all offseason drew praise and comparisons for Manning. However, after the quarterback's struggles through the first three weeks of the season, the conductor of the train has now jumped off after an appearance on SportsCenter on Sunday morning.

“Listen, I’m not bright but I’m not the stupidest person on the face of the earth,” Finebaum said. “I’m out. Okay? Count me out. I gave it a shot. It blew up. I like Arch. He’s going to be a great player someday, maybe some year, but not this year. It’s over. Come on. You can’t look at three weeks and find a way for the front row in New York. So, nice knowing you, Arch. See you soon.”

Finebaum's Comments on Arch Manning From The Offseason

Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

With just two starts under his belt heading into the 2025 season, Manning was already being heralded as the next Heisman-winning quarterback and national champion by Finebaum himself, who strongly voiced those sentiments back in July.

"I think there's a reasonably good chance that Arch Manning will be sitting on the front of New York at the Heisman ceremony," Finebaum said. "That's assuming that his team does what it's supposed to do and compete for not only the SEC but for the national championship. I really believe that they will."

Adding onto that already huge prediction with Manning still being inexperienced as a starting quarterback, it was not the wildest part of the take. The analyst compared Manning to legendary Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow, who won both a Heisman Trophy and a national championship in his time in Gainesville.

"Arch Manning is the best college football quarterback we have seen since Tim Tebow entered the scene in 2006."

In August, right before the start of the college football season, Finebaum went all in with his praise for the Longhorns quarterback, predicting that Manning could be one of the best quarterbacks college football has seen in quite a while.

"[Manning] is going to be the most dynamic quarterback we have seen, perhaps, in a generation," Finebaum said.

Manning's first three weeks of the season have been nothing short of lackluster, with a rough season opener against Ohio State, which can be excusable, taking on the defending national champions. However, after back-to-back uninspiring performances against "lower" competition, many of the predictions for Manning in 2025 may fall way short.

The quarterback will have one more week to settle things down when the Longhorns host the Sam Houston State Bearkats next weekend, before a bye week afterwards, and then the start of SEC play will start for Texas, where, if Manning continues these shaky performances, it could be a challenging back half of the season for the Longhorns.

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

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