When the back of your jersey sports one of the most recognizable last names in the history of football, you’re going to get some preferential treatment here and there. Nevertheless, odds makers are suggesting that Arch Manning is more than deserving of that treatment.
Advertisement
Heading into the 2025 college football season, Peyton and Eli Manning’s nephew is the betting favorite to take home the Heisman trophy, while Texas itself continues to be the most favored team to win this year’s national championship. That may seem excessive to some, especially when you consider the fact that Manning has only made 95 pass attempts since 2023, but according to the NFL veteran turned analyst, Bucky Brooks, Vegas is right on the money as per usual.
Citing Manning’s “pedigree” and “immense pro potential,” the former Buffalo Bill seems to believe that the 21-year-old phenom has everything that voters tend to look for when choosing the next Heisman trophy winner, and that’s enough for him to put Manning firmly at the top of his personal watch list. “This candidacy goes beyond raw numbers,” wrote Brooks. “The Manning brand and Arch’s splashy highlights could make this a runaway at the ballot box by season’s end.”
Although, there are a few other signal callers worth paying attention to, specifically Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier. In light of Klubnik’s standout performance in 2024, Brooks also reckons that he could become the first Heisman winner in the nearly 130-year history of the program, thanks to his “potential to put up big numbers on a loaded team that could blow through the ACC and earn a high seed in the College Football Playoff.”
When it comes to the Nussmeier, Brooks is expecting to see a second consecutive 4,000-yard season from the would-be heir to Jayden Daniels’ throne. Favoring the prospect’s “superb instincts” and “diagnostic skills,” he sees no reason as to why the young gunslinger can’t make a late push for one of the most coveted trophies in all of college athletics.
Of course, it’ll take nothing short of a jaw-dropping performance to subdue the hype surrounding Manning. Fans of the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints are dying to hit the ‘sim to next season’ button in hopes of landing the generational product, and Manning himself has already managed to receive the highest NIL valuation in the history of college athletics.
The race hasn’t even started, but as Brooks suggests, he already appears to be running away with the grand prize. Competitors won’t just be competing against Manning himself, they’ll also be competing against the influence of football’s royal family.
The three biggest words in college sports today are name, image, and likeness, and Manning has them in spades. Suffice to say, unless someone is able to liken themselves to the CFB equivalent of Tom Brady, then the Manning’s seem all but destined to continue their reign of terror on the gridiron.
