Well, the Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning has already passed one of the most critical tests in college football. And what’s that? Getting the clean chit from the ESPN analyst, Paul Finebaum. “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.” Right at the moment, there is a lot of debate surrounding Manning over the ‘proving himself’ part. 

One of them who has signed his name on the list is Steve Spurrier. He is among the many who are not buying into the Manning buzz. While the college football world is split into two, the 21-year-old is all about spreading good vibes. After all, he has got the back of his head coach, Steve Sarkisian, who is touched by Manning’s efforts to be better. “It’s about [him] wanting to be a really good player and wanting to be the quarterback at Texas to bring another national championship back here…We have a quarterback in Arch.”

No, Manning did not make it too obvious by being vocal. Rather, he let his T-shirt do all the talking. The 21-year-old is now making the most use of the off-season, soaking in some summer sun. From training camps to chilling out with his mates, Manning is recharging himself for the upcoming gruelling session. However, even amidst all this, he did not forget about his part-time job. And what’s that? His T-shirt said it all: “Dopamine Dealer.” Talking about the happy hormones? Well, Manning definitely has spread some in the last season. Talking about his hype? Analyst Lance Taylor summed it up in the best way possible. 

“Arch Manning is at the level I think it surpasses Tim Tebow coming back for his sophomore year. I think it is right up there with LeBron James coming into the NBA, I think that’s the type of hype we’re getting right now.” Manning gifted his standout performance in Week 5 against Mississippi State, when the 21-year-old threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns. Even though he had limited action, Manning came up with a 66.3% completion rate, racking up 969 yards and 9 touchdowns. Yes, definitely, there has been a debate that the young chap could only prove himself against easier teams.

For instance, Manning’s rage could be spotted against UT San Antonio, which had a weak pass defense, and Louisiana-Monroe, which also had a low-ranked overall defense. But we can’t deny the fact that the quarterback comes with accuracy, athleticism, and aggressiveness, making working from the pocket a cakewalk. And how can we miss his tidy footwork? It’s a bonus. Now you know what made Finebaum say, “This kid is a legit, Heisman-level package. Provided he produces at that level, the offense will be even better.” But again, Manning is no super-human. He has his doubters, too. 

The opposite side of the Arch Manning hype 

Spurrier, for instance, has his critical glasses on. Carrying his strong experience as the former South Carolina Gamecocks head coach and Orlando Apollos head coach, he still can’t envision Manning taking the stage and lifting up the bronze trophy. Rather, he questioned Manning as a potential Heisman candidate and the ones buzzing with Texas’ chance to win the SEC. 

“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.” That’s when Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer enters the picture. Currently, Manning is riding high with +700 Heisman odds, while Mateer is far behind at +2500. But yet then Brent Venables’ quarterback is preferred over Manning, over logical reasons, ofcourse. 

As Sooners insider George Stoia shared, “Do you want somebody who’s a little bit more proven. Then you take John Mateer. I think his pairing with [Ben] Arbuckle makes a lot of sense. Or do you want the guy with tremendous upside, a guy that you know could be a number one pick in the NFL draft next year, obviously, the lineage that Arch Manning has. But could also his floor might be lower? I think for Oklahoma in such a pivotal season, you take the guy whose floor is maybe a little bit higher, and that’s John Mateer. So I’m gonna lean Mateer.” 

Last season, Mateer led all FBS players with 29 touchdowns, thanks to his skills as both a passer and a runner, gaining 3,139 total yards. If this was not enough reason for Arch Manning to panic, here comes some more. We already know, carrying a rich NFL lineage, Manning already has the NFL spotlight over him. However, an unlikely competitor, Fernando Mendoza, might snatch it away from him. As Yahoo Sports reported, “Nate Ice has Fernando Mendoza as his QB1 in the 2026 NFL Draft over Arch Manning.” Thus, this season, Manning’s dopamine-delivery service is up against some serious roadblocks.