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Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum looks on prior to the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Missouri Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Paul Finebaum Makes Bold Comparison For Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Aaron Raley | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 2:00 PM ET

Texas Longhorns sophomore quarterback Arch Manning has only made two starts in his collegiate career in Austin, but both have shown the young star's potential and capabilities of leading a team as notable as the Burnt Orange to a national championship.

And for each bout of criticism the young Manning has faced, such as Steve Spurrier's recent viral comments surrounding him still being behind Quinn Ewers most of last year despite his supposed skill, Manning has received praise for his leadership, poise, and potential.

And college football analyst Paul Finebaum had quite the high praise for the signal caller, even comparing him to one of the best quarterbacks that college football has seen.

Is Arch Manning the Best College Football Quarterback Since Tim Tebow?

Appearing on the Get Up podcast Tuesday morning, Finebaum had nothing but positive remarks for Manning, considering him an early finalist for the Heisman Trophy, and even a bold statement comparing him to 2007 Heisman winner Tim Tebow.

"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."

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

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

—@finebaum on Arch Manning pic.twitter.com/vTm9buTfKX
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 1, 2025

A very daring statement from the analyst, already adding to the massive expectations that Manning will have to live up to in 2025, especially considering the influx of talented quarterbacks the NCAA has seen since then, such as Johnny Manziel, Cam Newton, and Joe Burrow.

But, as Manning has shown time and time again, high expectations are kind of his thing.

The new generation in a line of Hall-of-Fame-level quarterbacks and the top-ranked recruit in the 2023 class, Arch Manning, is used to a little pressure on his back.

Finebaum would also go on to make a slight critique of Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, saying he should've put Manning in the second half of the loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes, similar to what a fellow legendary head coach did in the national championship a few years ago.

“I think Steve Sarkisian, who’s one of the most amazing play callers I’ve ever seen, made a critical mistake late in the year. He was way too banged up and was really ineffective," Finebaum said about starting quarterback Quinn Ewers. "Had Arch Manning been instituted in the second half of that game, like Nick Saban did a couple of years ago with Tua Tagovailoa, I think there’s a reasonably good chance that Texas would have beaten Ohio State and won the national championship.

We will see just how true that statement from Finebaum is as the Longhorns head up to Columbus to combat the reigning national champions to start the 2025 campaign, a chunk into the deep end for Manning's first full-time collegiate start.

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

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