Paul Finebaum's Take On Arch Manning Should Worry College Football Fans

The Texas Longhorns hope to be instant contenders in arguably the best conference in college football — the SEC. The Longhorns are coming off their best season since 2009, winning the Big 12 and securing a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The team also boasts Quinn Ewers, one of the top quarterbacks in the country. However, Ewers’ backup has been getting much attention since arriving in Austin. That would be Arch Manning, the No. 1 overall player in the 2023 class.

Manning is the grandson of Archie Manning and the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning. He only threw five passes last season, but there are expectations he could be the next great quarterback in a family with a long history of elite quarterback play.

ESPN's Paul Finebaum believes that Manning could be better than Ewers, leading to the Longhorns' ongoing success.

"They are probably No. 2," Finebaum told On3's J.D. PicKell. "The reason is, I think they have an elite quarterback, and the guy after the elite quarterback may be better. I don't know. I like having him as a backup. Secondly, their recruiting is so deep."

The Longhorns have recruited at a high level to complement Manning as Finebaum mentioned. Under Steve Sarkisian since 2022, Texas has had three consecutive top-six recruiting classes. The Longhorns currently have the No. 15 ranked class in 2025, but there is a long way to go before signing day.

Nonetheless, with Manning leading the team in the future, Texas appears poised to make a significant impact in the SEC and national championship race for years to come.

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