Paul Finebaum is not buying the Arch Manning Heisman hype this time around.
After backing Manning a year ago, the ESPN and SEC Network voice has shifted gears heading into the 2026 season. On a segment of "SportsCenter" called "Paul In or Paul Out," Finebaum said he’s taking the field instead of the Texas quarterback.
"I got burned badly last year, as you know, and everyone in the country knows," Finebaum said. "Not this time.
I think he's great. I think he's a much better player than at the end of last season, but I can't go there.
I think he's got a real shot at being a finalist. But there are too many other good names on that board...
I'm out."
That stance comes with the Heisman race looking far more open than it did a year ago. Last season’s winner was Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who put together a monster run with 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions while helping the Hoosiers finish 16-0 and claim the program’s first national championship.
With Mendoza off to the NFL, the door is open again. Phil Steele’s preseason top 10 reflects that uncertainty, with Manning at No. 1 and a crowded chase behind him: Dante Moore of Oregon, CJ Carr of Notre Dame, Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss, Julian Sayin of Ohio State, Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State, Darian Mensah of Miami, Josh Hoover of Indiana, Sam Leavitt of LSU and Devon Dampier of Utah.
Manning will always draw attention. He’s the grandson of Archie Manning and the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, and plenty of people like Texas’ title chances enough to circle him as the early Heisman pick. But the award has never been handed out on name value alone, and that’s where the skepticism starts to creep in.
The Manning family name carries real weight, but it hasn’t produced a Heisman winner yet. That history is part of why the favorite label can be a trap.
If there’s a player Finebaum should be watching more closely, it’s Chambliss. The Ole Miss quarterback posted 3,937 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and three interceptions, and he added 527 rushing yards and eight scores despite not starting at the beginning of the year. By the source’s account, he was arguably the best quarterback in college football last season, even ahead of Mendoza.
That kind of production matters. So does the team around him. With Ole Miss expected to compete nationally, Chambliss has a path to move from a name in the mix to the player everyone is chasing.
Manning will stay one of the biggest storylines in the sport. But if the Heisman is going to reward the player who pairs elite numbers with team success, Chambliss has the profile that deserves the louder conversation.
In Other News...
Nick Saban Had A Strong Pete Golding Message For Ole Miss Fans
Nick Saban spent part of SEC Media Day making a point that Ole Miss fans probably appreciated hearing: Pete Golding has his respect, and plenty of it. The former Alabama defensive coordinator, who worked under Saban from 2018 to 2022, is now the man in charge in Oxford after taking over as Ole Miss head coach, and Saban framed him as a coach with the kind of background that can translate beyond the headset on defense.
Sabans praise centered on Goldings authenticity, his feel for personnel and his ability to recruit, the sort of traits that matter even more when a coordinator steps into a full-time head coaching job. For Ole Miss, the endorsement adds another layer to Goldings transition, especially with his first season in the role now underway after Lane Kiffins departure. [Read more 🡒]
Respected SEC Voice Just Made A Stunning Ole Miss QB Claim
David Pollack has never been shy about a big college football opinion, and his latest one puts Ole Miss squarely in the spotlight. The former Georgia linebacker and current analyst said on his podcast that Trinidad Chambliss is the best quarterback in the country entering the 2026 season, a stunning rise for a player who arrived from Division II Ferris State and quickly became one of the most important pieces in the SEC.
Chambliss backed up the buzz with a strong first season in Oxford, throwing 22 touchdown passes against just 3 interceptions while adding 527 rushing yards and 8 scores on the ground. He will represent Ole Miss at SEC Media Days and now carries even more attention into a season where the Rebels are trying to turn quarterback confidence into a real run at the league title conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Is Back In The SEC Spotlight Again
Lane Kiffin is set to step back into the SEC spotlight this week, this time as LSUs head coach at his first SEC Media Days appearance in that role. It is a familiar stage for a coach whose career has long been tied to the leagues biggest storylines, and his return brings with it the kind of championship expectations that follow LSU everywhere, along with the extra attention that comes from his past stops in Knoxville and Oxford.
Josh Heupel only added to the buzz by bringing up the 2021 scene at Neyland Stadium, when Kiffins return to Tennessee with Ole Miss turned volatile in a hurry. Kiffins move from Ole Miss to LSU already left hard feelings in Oxford, and with LSU heading to Tennessee on the schedule, the next chapter in this SEC soap opera figures to draw plenty of eyes long before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]