Texas QB Arch Manning Lives Up to the Hype

Texas quarterback (QB) Arch Manning came into college football as probably the most hyped high school prospect ever.

That also meant he came into this with a mountain of expectations on his back.

His NFL lineage- NFL Hall of Fame uncles Eli and Peyton Manning, and grandfather, Archie- made him the talk of the town when he committed to Texas.

Despite all the noise, fans haven’t seen that much of him. Manning has only started two games for the Longhorns.

However, Manning can be evaluated from roughly 43 minutes of tape capturing every snap (linked below).

So, does he live up to the hype?

Background

Manning was a five-star, perfectly rated (100) recruiting prospect (247Sports) out of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Speaking of hype, that same recruiting profile compared him to Bengals’ QB Joe Burrow coming out of high school.

Manning is in the 73rd percentile for height and 61st percentile for weight (nfldraftbuzz.com).

#16 Arch Manning 6-foot-4, 225 pounds 
Rajvir Bal’s Summer 2026 NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)
Projected by 71.4% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of May 14, 2025 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2024 game film reviewed: Arch Manning Every Play 2024 (click to view what was watched to form this evaluation)

He’s a Natural

This should come as no surprise.

Manning has a feel for the game beyond anyone I’ve evaluated. Whether it’s identifying ‘soft spots’ in coverage or understanding when to let it fly, this prospect has extremely impressive instinctual ability. In addition to his intuition, his rhythm is next-level. He knows exactly when to tuck and run, and also when to stand tall and deliver a pass against pressure.

His mechanics feel natural, with a quick release and polished footwork.

Plus Mobility

Manning inherited his mobility from his grandfather, Archie, and he’s an A+ athlete in and around the pocket. He’s never afraid to take off and attempt to pick up yardage on the ground.

He doesn’t just get by either. This prospect is a running threat using his legs.

Big Arm

Manning has a cannon. It’s live and always hunting for ways to pressure the defense downfield.

Although somewhat inconsistent last season, Manning showed the ability to make several big-time NFL throws. His velocity and torque allow him to often fit the ball into tight coverage, and he can make his passes travel 50+ yards in the air with ease, demonstrating no problem going deep.

He also showed the ability to throw from many different arm angles, something not present in most QBs, even in the NFL.

What Are the Drawbacks?

Because former Texas starting QB Quinn Ewers is one draft class ahead of him, Manning has limited experience. Therefore, he doesn’t have a large body of work for us to go off.

He occasionally trusts his arm too much, causing him to throw downfield into double or triple coverage when he shouldn’t. Like many young quarterbacks, his ball placement is still developing and remains inconsistent at times.

Ten Adjectives

Instinctive. Risky. Athletic. Natural. Confident. Raw. Explosive. Unproven. Creative. Strong-armed.

Final Thoughts (For Now)

The tools are there—now it’s just a matter of experience.

If Arch Manning develops on schedule, he’ll be a franchise QB.

Rajvir Bal is a high school student from the Virginia area. He grew up a rabid Washington Redskins fan, attending more than 30 games, and has enjoyed the team’s high points and low points throughout his life. He plays varsity football and basketball. Rajvir has taken an interest in the NFL Draft since middle school when his team picked Montez Sweat and Dwayne Haskins in the first round. His favorite NFL player ever flips between Rob Gronkowski and Brett Favre, and his favorite athlete is LeBron James. He has been writing his own scouting reports since 2020, and is excited for the opportunities FirstRoundMock provides.