It’s not often these days that three generations in a row follow in the family business. But that’s the case with the Mannings. First, it was the patriarch, Archie, then it was his sons, Eli and Peyton, who eclipsed their famous father in some way. Now, it’s the scion of the Manning Dynasty, Eli and Peyton’s nephew Arch, who takes up the reins.
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Manning committed to Texas back in 2022 and spent his first couple of years as a backup for Quinn Ewers. That has led to a very long build-up period for Arch’s hype train. But 2025 is his time, and respected college football analyst Paul Finebaum believes he will attract attention like never before.
Finebaum joined ESPN’s First Take on Friday to discuss the major storylines heading into the 2025 campaign, and he argued that Manning making his first appearance at SEC Media Days in Atlanta next week—the 21-year-old has not been made available to the media very often through his first two years—will be the biggest event in a city also hosting the MLB All-Star celebrations that week.
“And think about this for a second. You just mentioned SEC Media Days in Atlanta, also in Atlanta. Also in Atlanta next week is the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game. But Tuesday afternoon, the biggest event in town is gonna be Arch Mania showing up at Media Days for the first time. Very few people have had a chance to talk to Arch Manning, other than isolated interviews, and he’s going to be one of the biggest attractions we have ever seen.”
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Is Arch Manning the best college QB since Tim Tebow? pic.twitter.com/R6FlCDs8sx— First Take (@FirstTake) July 11, 2025
Finebaum took it even further, claiming the hype surrounding Manning will be even crazier than what we saw when Heisman Trophy winners Johnny Football and Tim Tebow were coming out back in 2012 and 2007.
“Yes there has been Johnny Manziel mania about 10 or 12 years ago, and there have been other great stars, including when [Tim] Tebow was asked all kinds of weird questions during his first appearance. But I think Arch might top all that. Because that’s all college football fans have been talking about, really for years, as he sat behind Quinn Ewers, for what reason I’ll never know.”
Quite the hot take. While we can’t discount the possibility completely, it seems unlikely that Manning will captivate the nation quite like Manziel and Tebow did. Manziel, with his cheeky celebrations and off-field escapades, and Tebow, with his in-your-face Christianity in the midst of a sketchy Florida Gators team.
Manning will get the chance to prove himself from the very first game, however. Texas gets the defending national champions to kick off the campaign.
“But he gets his chance finally, and it’s not only on the stage in Atlanta, but it comes at the end of August at Ohio State. Rarely have we seen an opener like this in college football.”
Manning will be available for questions next Tuesday in Atlanta. But that first game against Ohio State—which is at Ohio Stadium as well—on August 30 will be when we really see whether the Arch Manning hype train is going to leave the station for real.
