Arch Manning keeps living in the spotlight, but David Pollack’s latest quarterback ranking gives the Texas star a little bit of room to breathe.
Pollack, the longtime college football analyst and former first-round pick, did not put Manning at the top of his list for this season. Instead, that spot went to Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, a player Pollack clearly views as one of the SEC’s best.
The rest of Pollack’s top five went like this: Arch Manning at No. 2, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin at No.
3, Oregon’s Dante Moore at No. 4, and Notre Dame’s CJ Carr at No. 5.
For Manning, landing second is hardly a setback. After all the noise that followed him into Texas, and after a 2025 season in which he kept improving as the year went on, the No. 2 spot feels more like a reset than a slight.
“Numero dos: Arch Manning. Unbelievable arm talent, laser-quick release,” Pollack said of Manning’s game.
“We've seen the dual threat. Now, we're gonna see Arch Manning with less pressure than a year ago.
This is his best support cast that he's had and it ain't close.”
That last part matters. Pollack’s ranking suggests Manning doesn’t need to carry the whole weight of the college football world this fall. He gets to grow into the role with a little less heat on him than he had a year ago, when the hype around Texas became so loud the team couldn’t handle it.
Manning is still widely projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and his second season as Texas’ starting quarterback is just ahead. But Pollack’s list puts him in a spot that may suit him better right now: near the top, but not buried under the burden of being crowned the best before the season even starts.
There’s also plenty of room for these rankings to get tested on the field. Texas will face Sayin and Ohio State again this season, and the Longhorns will host Chambliss and Ole Miss during SEC play. Texas won’t see Oregon or Notre Dame in the regular season, but either team could end up across from Manning in the College Football Playoff.
And while Manning could still have another year of eligibility after this season if he stays on the 40 Acres, most eyes are already on the NFL and that expected No. 1 overall landing spot.
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