When you have taken one of the most critical men in college football, Paul Finebaum, into your confidence, then your job is already half done. While quarterbacks who have been playing for years still struggle to enter Finebaum’s good books, 21-year-old Arch Manning has been a lucky chap. “I think he’s [Manning] going to be the best quarterback at Texas since Colt McCoy,” the ESPN analyst boldly stated. Not just this, on another occasion, he shared, “They have Arch Manning, in case you have not gotten that email from the front office. He is expected to be much better than Quinn Ewers.”

But doubt still looms for Manning over the ‘proving himself’ part. That’s because the quarterback has excelled against weaker opponents; his ability to consistently perform under pressure against top-level defenses remains unproven. However, that did not lessen his thirst to grab his spot. And whenever he was in dire need of any suggestion, he had his role model on speed dial. That’s none other than Garrett Nussmeier. “It’s cool having a guy like Nuss to look up to. He kind of had the same situation as me, just sitting for a few years, then going to play, and he played well. I’ve watched a lot of his film. He’s a good player, so it’s fun to look up to him,” said Manning about his LSU Tigers’ hero.

Well, coming from a rich NFL legacy of uncles Peyton and Eli Manning, it’s obvious that the Texas quarterback would look up to someone of his age. And mind you, Manning knows Nussmeier since he was a kid, when the LSU quarterback’s father, Doug, played with Peyton during his rookie year in Indianapolis. Later on, Nussmeier attended the Manning Passing Academy as a counselor, and Manning took note of the LSU quarterback.

Nussmeier has shown how patience is the secret key to success in college football. The Tigers’ quarterback waited behind Max Johnson and Jayden Daniels for his first three seasons at LSU. That paid off with a breakout 2024 season, throwing for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns. And Manning could relate his journey with Nuss, as he two spent two years backing up Quinn Ewers. Right at the moment, both of their dartboards have similar targets.

“I think we’re both on the same page about that. SEC championship and national championship,” said the Texas quarterback. On Thursday, June 26, Manning got lucky to have been shooting content for  Raising Cane’s NIL deal with Nussmeier. And that definitely might have called for some KT (Knowledge Transfer) sessions. While here the Texas Longhorns quarterback sees someone as an inspiration, he himself has inspired someone else. His fellow Heisman competitor.

Heisman or not, Arch Manning has already captured hearts

Well, Finebaum had predicted something for Manning back in September last year. “Book it. Arch Manning is going to win the Heisman.” But there is also an opposite side to this hype. For instance, Steve Spurrier is not buying into Manning’s Heisman buzz. As he stated, “Most people picking Texas to win the SEC. They’ve got Arch Manning already winning the Heisman, too. My question is: If he was this good, how come they let Quinn Ewers play all the time last year? And he was a 7th-round pick.” But so what? Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, who is running the 2025 Heisman race with Manning, talked highly of the Texas Longhorns quarterback. 

Klubnik’s respect for the 21-year-old competitor stands on only one factor: loyalty. ​​“I’ve got so much respect for the guys who are staying loyal. “Guys like Arch [Manning], Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar and Ty Simpson. Those are the guys that come to mind. The guys that believe in the program and believe in the culture that they’re at. Just chase to get better every single year. There’s a reason that those are four of the best quarterbacks in college football right now.” Recently, Manning went viral wearing a T-shirt on which it’s written, “Dopamine Dealer.”

Turns out that he is spreading dopamine not only among the fellow competitors of his class, but among the ones who are the program’s future. For instance, 2026 5-star quarterback Dia Bell has already picked up the buzz of being Manning’s heir. However, the young chap is willing to wait, making the most of the opportunity to learn from Manning. He assured, “If he does decide to save the second year, I’ll have no problem learning, and that just gives me more time to learn everything and make sure that when it does or when it becomes my time, I’m as prepared as possible. So I have no problem sitting behind them at all.” So, he might still be chasing titles, but Arch Manning’s already conquered die-hard fans.