Although Texas quarterback Arch Manning has started in just two games over his two-year career, he enters the 2025 college football season as one of the biggest names in the sport. Just one week before he starts the biggest game of his life against Ohio State however, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt is pumping the brakes a bit on the […]
Although Texas quarterback Arch Manning has started in just two games over his two-year career, he enters the 2025 college football season as one of the biggest names in the sport. Just one week before he starts the biggest game of his life against Ohio State however, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt is pumping the brakes a bit on the Manning hype.
“Here’s what I’ve said about (Arch Manning),” Van Pelt said on ‘See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack‘. “I always want to frame this very carefully. I don’t know if you know this about college football fans, but sometimes they take things you say very personal. Sometimes they don’t hear you when you talk to them. Texas fans, I need you to hear me. It’s not that I doubt Arch Manning at all. I just saw ‘Pardon My Take‘ and coach (Ed Orgeron) went on and he said Arch is the closest thing to (Joe) Burrow and I’m like ‘damn. Alright. That gets my attention.”
It certainly was high praise from Orgeron, who compared a quarterback just beginning his journey to arguably one of the greatest collegiate football quarterbacks of all time in Burrow.
“The point I made earlier about Malachi (Nelson) right – being a five-star and coming out with bonafides… look at the guy who was at Texas the year before. Quinn Ewers came out and was five-star everything. He went to Ohio State and was there for a minute. Came back to Texas. Now, was he bad at Texas? Of course not. He was good. He got drafted. Third day guy, but he was never gonna be a third day guy. He’s down in Miami.”
“But he was supposed to be like THE GUY. Well, it never quite happened on the level of him becoming a Caleb (Williams) or Jayden (Daniels) right. It just didn’t happen. So, the level of buy-in I feel like I see with Arch right now is such that a lot is being assumed. It might very well be well founded and we may see it right out of the gate against Ohio State.“
Van Pelt wonders why Manning didn’t play more in 2024 season
Over his three-year stint at Texas, Ewers passed for 9,128 yards, 68 touchdowns and just 24 interceptions. In games he played in, the Longhorns went 27-9 with two College Football Playoff game victories. Texas went 2-0 in the games Manning started last season, with wins over UTSA and Mississippi State.
“We could go ‘that’s why everyone thought he was the dude.’ All I’m saying is I want to see it. I wonder this… I always say I don’t know what I don’t know. You know I trust [Steve Sarkisian], certainly more than me when it comes to knowing his team and his personnel. But I wonder if Arch had so much juice, then why in that Ohio State (College Football Playoff Semifinal) game did he not get more than a snap? I believe it was one snap where he came in for a run play that got a first down. There were games where Ewers would hit a spot where he’d struggle for a possession or two, or maybe he’d have a quarter where not a lot was going right. Arizona State, they’re up big and then it became a game.”
“My point is just, I wonder why maybe we didn’t see more of him but I’m sure Sark knew what he was doing. I’m sure that the Manning group is bought in because they’ve got the long view of the world. They’re not in a hurry and I respect that about them. So, this is a long-winded answer but I want to make sure I’m framing it. I’m not doubting Arch, I’m just saying before I buy in the way I’m buying in with Clemson, I just want to see it. We get a chance to see it week one in Columbus, so we’re gonna get some feedback right off the bat.”
Manning certainly has a great opportunity to prove Van Pelt wrong with a big performance in No. 1 Texas‘ season opener against No. 3 Ohio State on Aug. 30. Kick-off is scheduled for 12:00 PM on FOX.
Category: General Sports
