Arch Manning—just the name alone carries a lot of weight. With the legendary Manning blood within him, expectations are sky-high for this young quarterback. Now, he hasn’t thrown a single college pass yet, but the Longhorns spent a whopping $280,000 just to recruit him last year. After all, Arch was the coveted 5-star name in his recruiting class.

But wait, the hype train has hit a bit of a curve. Arch was expected to debut as QB1 this season. However, he finds himself behind Quinn Ewers, who’s now in his third year with Texas. Disappointed? There’s an even bigger snub waiting for Manning!

On Tuesday, Clint Brew of 247Sports ranked the “Top 25 backup QBs heading into the 2024 season,” and guess what? Arch Manning didn’t take the top spot. That honor went to Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway, with Arch coming in second. Lagway is the backup for Gators QB Graham Mertz, just as Manning is to Ewers. “Manning and Lagway will take over CFB in 2025 and headline the SEC for the next few seasons,” Brew wrote confidently.

While both quarterbacks are equally praised for their future potential, this ranking is a bit of a blow to Arch’s reputation as the most coveted backup ever. Also, Arch is entering his second year as a backup, while Lagway is just starting his first. Not just that, the little Manning also has a massive $3.1 million NIL worth, making him one of the top 3 CFB players in the NIL rankings. That’s just $1.6 million shy of the top spot held by Shedeur Sanders. So, despite his impressive bank account, Arch’s reputation as a quarterback just took a bit of a hit.

Still, Steve Sarkisian & Co. remains positive about his future with the Longhorns.

Arch Manning’s future set with Texas

Texas Longhorns starting quarterback Quinn Ewers is full of praise for the young Manning on his roster. While chatting with Robert Griffin III last month, Ewers raved about his backup, noting that Arch Manning has “got more time to grow” in his current role. Although Arch didn’t take the starting job from Ewers, he played a bit last year, managing just 5 passes. But as Ewers pointed out, Manning has been using this time to grow. He really shined in the spring game, throwing for 355 yards and scoring 3 touchdowns.

Even head coach Steve Sarkisian seems impressed with this. Speaking at the SEC media day last month, he said, “I think Arch’s development has been important to the family, and he’s reaping the benefits. It hasn’t been very difficult at all. I think it’s been pretty simple for him.” While the backup position seems straightforward for Arch, recent rankings threw a bit of a curveball. But despite that, Sarkisian believes Manning will soon overcome any setbacks and possibly get more playtime this year. The Texas HC noted how Ewers has “great appreciation for what Arch is doing.” He added, “In the end, we’re probably going to need both those guys at some point this season.” 

Looks like a snub or no snub, the Manning name is ready to shine!