Just when Arch Manning thought it’s finally his day, his year, his moment, reality decided to knock! As Quinn Ewers heads out the door to enter the cut-throat world of NFL, all eyes are on the 6’4″, 225 lbs QB2 who’d mostly spent last season on the sidelines—clocking in bursts of head-turning performances in Ewers’ absence. Though the community has been a longtime fan of Manning’s abilities and even called for Ewers to be replaced, not everyone is on board with the hype train, it seems…

But before we get to that, for some context: Manning concluded the 2024 season with 939 yards, 9 touchdowns, two interceptions, and a decent(?) 67.8% completion rate. However, in those limited appearances, the 19-year-old—much like his uncles Eli and Peyton Manning—stole the show. We’re talking about hitting a top speed of a blistering 20.7 miles per hour in September 2024 (over Tyreek Hill’s prior record of 20.3 that same year) in a 56-7 win over UTSA. In that same game, Manning also had a 67-yard rushing touchdown during the win, since Vince Young’s 80-yard scoring run against Oklahoma State in 2005. He’s got the potential, wouldn’t you agree?

Well, before you make a conclusion, there’s a new QB in town, who’s reportedly suited, booted, and ready to take on the Manning challenge. On August 30, the Longhorns will travel to Ohio State in a rematch from the CFB Playoffs semifinals. And leading the charge will be Ryan Day’s new starting quarterback Julian Sayin—who currently flaunts a NIL value of $939K as opposed to Manning’s $6.6 million. The challenge will be tough, but according to industry insider and sports show host Jake Crain, Sayin will doing all the saying come August. (pun intended)

On the Crain & Company podcast episode aired January 24, titled, “Arch Manning vs. Julian Sayin: Who Will Shine in Next Season’s Week 1 Showdown? 🔥🏈”, Jake and his brother Blake dissected the issue. The Ohio State QB has risen to the spotlight, opening up as the top-8 favorite along with the Texas QB. 

“That’s huge, considering neither one has been a starter. The odds are Arch: +950; Julian Sayin: +18800 right now. Guess what they face off in week one in Columbus,” host David Cone said, setting the tone for what’s to come. Blane quickly jumped into the conversation with his own take, saying, “Arch Manning will outplay Julian Sayin in their first game.”

That’s when the podcaster Jake Crain chimed in with his blunt take on Manning, “I think it’s unfair, the hype that’s been put on Arch Manning. He’s going to be a good player for Texas. He’s gonna be in Steve Sarkisian’s offense but Julian Sayin, I think, could actually be the generational young player in this group of young guys across the country.” But what made him think so? The young chap who is likely to be Day’s starter has elite arm talent and has shown huge potential since transferring from Alabama. The former five-star signal-caller was the No. 1 ranked quarterback prospect in the 2024 recruiting class. He is yet to prove himself in Columbus, but his high school stats are keeping the hope alive.

During his senior season at Carlsbad High School in California, Day’s QB threw for 2,347 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just one interception in 2023. But what in Sayin’s case will work the most? As Crain stated, “It’s not just who he is. It’s also what he has around him. Guess who he has coming back fellas, Jeremiah Smith—who teams are offering four and a half million dollars to transfer allegedly in the transfer portal right now—Carnell Tate coming back…Chip Kelly’s your OC coming off the momentum of a national championship.” Looks like the factors around Sayin are going to amplify his talents…

With this, the host jumped to a conclusion, “In the year where your offensive line was good but they weren’t amazing…I think Ohio State’s offensive line, even though they’re losing Josh Simmons, could be even better next year than they were this year. You got a fan base that’s not afraid to put the pocketbook out and go buy some guys. I think Julian Sayin will be a better player overall, and he is going to blow Arch Manning out of the water week one at home.”

However, Cone begged to differ: “I say Arch Manning will outplay Julian Sayin in that opener for a couple different reasons. First off, I haven’t seen Julian Sayin play college football. I’ve seen his high school tape. I know how good he can be…at least I’ve seen Arch Manning play football in college and Steve Sarkisian is still his play caller.”

“I also think Texas is in a position next season to be what the Buckeyes were this last year. Yes, Julian Sayin will have Jeremiah Smith to throw the football to…but I think the mindset with this Buckeyes team, that all those seniors that came back to win this Championship, sort of like Michigan came back to win 2023, a lot of those guys are going to be leaving. I know this game will be at home, and I’m not necessarily even saying that Texas will pull the upset.”

“We have a long way to go through the transfer portal to see what that is. But, I think, Arch Manning will have more pieces around him. Texas is going to be hungrier to come in and really win a championship this next season the way the Buckeyes just were. So I’ll say Arch Manning right now outperforms in that.”

Having said that, Sayin is not the only reason for Manning to be worried…

Arch Manning’s chance to shine takes a backseat

After two seasons as Ewers’ backup QB, Manning is projected to be the starter. However, the timing seems not to be in favor of Manning. He carries the burden of the Manning legacy. His uncles had multiple Super Bowl victories under their belt. As Manning would still have to wait for some time to make it to the NFL, he thought of making it big in college. Sadly, he has lost his top QB spot. 

On3 analyst Thomas Goldkamp ranked the Longhorns QB at No.4 in their list of top 2025 quarterbacks. The Top 3 positions went to Arizona State Sun Devils’ signal-caller Sam Leavitt. Then Penn State Nittany Lions QB Drew Allar and Florida Gators’ DJ Lagway. As per the reports, Goldkamp came up with the rankings based on “impact.”

However, 247Sports analyst Brad Crawford stays positive about seeing Arch Manning climb up the ladder in the upcoming season. “He’ll get his opportunity to shine in 2025 with Quinn Ewers off to the NFL…the preseason Heisman frontrunner has a chance to ascend to top billing nationally as the face of a program that should get back to the playoff,” assured the analyst. For Manning, tuning out the Julian Sayin buzz will be the key. His focus on honing his own game is going to be the smartest move.