Arch Manning may be one of the biggest names in college football heading into 2026, but ESPN’s Jordan Rodgers is not ready to crown him the nation’s top quarterback.
Rodgers, who was cautious about Manning even before the 2025 season, said he’s still not putting the Texas star at the top of his board.
"I was the one, maybe the only one last year preseason, saying, "let's pump the brakes" a little bit. We haven't seen this guy play yet," Rodgers said about Manning.
That skepticism comes even after Manning finished the 2025 season on a much stronger note. Texas, though, still came up short of its College Football Playoff goal, with early losses leaving the Longhorns outside the bracket.
Rodgers has a different name in the No. 1 spot among returning quarterbacks: Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss. Chambliss, a former Division II standout at Ferris State, powered the Rebels on a deep playoff run last season. That stretch came while Lane Kiffin was on the move to LSU and Pete Golding took over in Oxford.
As for Manning, Rodgers sees real progress, but also a few things that still need cleaning up.
"There are still some mechanical issues that I think he has to improve upon, Rodgers added. (Manning) got so much better at the end of the year.
He was more consistent with his feet. But when his feet are elongated or not in the right place, velocity dips.
The spiral is a little wobbly. He misses at times.
I expect Arch to take another big step."
Even with those concerns, Rodgers still believes Manning has a huge season ahead.
"I expect him to be in New York at the Heisman Trophy ceremony, Rodgers said. "He's going to be really good, but I still think some of those mechanical issues I want to see cleaned up to project him to be a top 10 or a first round draft pick next year."
Texas opens the upcoming season against Texas State on Saturday, Sept. 5, before Ohio State comes to Austin for a primetime game the following week. Manning will face Julian Sayin in a matchup that figures to draw major attention across the country.
In Other News...
Steve Sarkisian Just Teased Arch Mannings Biggest Texas Season Yet
As Arch Manning gets ready for what is shaping up to be his likely final college season, the buzz around Texas is less about hype and more about the kind of growth that usually shows up in August and matters in November. Steve Sarkisian has liked what he has seen from Mannings work this offseason, pointing to cleaner fundamentals and a quarterback who looks more settled heading into a year when the Longhorns will lean on him to run an offense built around a deeper supporting cast.
The bigger reason the conversation has shifted is what Manning went through last season and what it appears to have taught him. Sarkisian believes the young quarterback came out of that stretch with a better understanding of himself and a sturdier approach to pressure, which is exactly the sort of development Texas needs from its starter. With players like Cam Coleman, Raleek Brown, Trevor Goosby and Brandon Baker around him, the Longhorns have reasons to think the ceiling is high, even if the true test still waits once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Mannings Reaction To This Viral Image Is So Texas Right Now
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A doctored photo making the rounds showed Manning looking far more built than he really is, and he quickly debunked it himself in a way that fit the moment. It was a reminder that every little detail around Manning gets magnified now, from how he looks in a viral post to what his next move might mean for Texas and, eventually, his pro future. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Mannings Locker Room Music Pick Will Get Texas Fans Talking
Arch Mannings offseason has been the usual blend of work and downtime for a quarterback carrying a massive spotlight, with football reps mixed in with time around family as he heads toward another high-profile year at Texas. During the Manning Passing Academy, he also offered a small glimpse into life inside the Longhorns locker room, where the conversation briefly drifted away from coverages and timing to the music coming through the aux.
The name he dropped was Olivia Dean, the British soul singer-songwriter whose sound is a little different from what fans might expect from a Texas quarterback in mid-June. It was a choice that will probably spark a few reactions in Austin, especially with Manning entering his second season as the starter and all the pressure that comes with being viewed as a potential No. 1 pick and the face of a CFP push. [Read more 🡒]