Arch Manning Hype Already Drawing Comparisons To Heisman Trophy Winner

Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning doesn't even have a full season as a starter under his belt in Austin, and he is already being compared to Heisman Trophy winners.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) smiles after scoring a touchdown / Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Arch Manning era has already begun for the Texas Longhorns.

Earlier this week, Manning became a center point for the national media. Not only did he unveil his NIL deal with Red Bull in multiple ad spots, but he also sat down with ESPN's Marty Smith to discuss his journey to Austin, among other national interviews.

Suffice it to say, the hype train around Arch Manning is officially gearing up. But crazy will it get?

After the airing of his interviews with Manning, Smith compared the fan fare surrounding Manning to perhaps the most publicized college quarterback in recent memory - Florida Gators Heisman and national title winner Tim Tebow.

Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow (15) celebrates after defeating the Florida State Seminoles 42-12 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL. / Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

“It’s going to be Tim Tebow levels of hysteria this fall when we go to Austin, Texas,” Smith said on the Paul Finebaum Show. “When he is behind center full-time for the first time, it’s going to be like it was with Tebow at Florida. Everywhere they go they’re going to be rock stars. And that is what I anticipate, and I think that’s what we’re going to see.”

And to be fair, Manning is already well on his way to causing mass hysteria once he actually takes the field as the full-time starter.

He has already been named a front-runner for the 2025 Heisman Trophy. Bleacher Report has projected him as the best college football athlete in the next 25 years before the Longhorns' 2024 season even ended. Many have Texas ranked as the way-too-early 2025 preseason No. 1 team and national title favorites because of him.

As if that wasn't enough, there are also projections of Manning being selected No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Some even believe that if Manning came out in the draft this season, he would still be the No. 1 overall pick.

Keep in mind - all of this has come before he has made a start as the team's official QB1.

And if everyone is indeed right about the kind of hysteria that Manning will create, it could make for some seriously crazy atmospheres down the line for the Longhorns when they visit places like Columbus, Athens, and Gainesville next fall.

Fortunately for the Longhorns, Manning was built to withstand and tune out that kind of pressure and should stand up well in those kinds of environments.

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