Paul Finebaum Says 'We All Jumped the Gun' on Arch Manning After Leading Hype Train

The Arch Manning hype train was full steam ahead during the summer, with the Texas quarterback garnering the best odds to win the Heisman Trophy entering his first year as the Longhorns' full-time starter.

Wearing the conductor's hat was none other than ESPN's Paul Finebaum, who went so far as to say that Manning is the best quarterback the sport has seen since Tim Tebow back in July. Putting aside questions about guys like Cam Newton and Joe Burrow, it was a pretty absurd statement to make about a young quarterback with two starts under his belt, and one who looked pretty pedestrian when thrust into action against top competition in 2024.

Two weeks into Manning's campaign, and Finebaum has some clear buyer's remorse on that Heisman stock. Manning's numbers were much, much better in Texas's Week 2 win over San José State—19-of-30 for 295 yards and four touchdowns with 23 rushing yards and a score in a 38–7 win—but he still left plenty on the field, as he admitted after the game. Hype around Manning, and those Heisman odds, took a dip after his rough Week 1 outing in the Longhorns' 14–7 loss to Ohio State.

“I have been leading the parade on Arch Manning, we all know that. I'm backing up a little bit," Finebaum said on First Take Tuesday. "... The bottom line is Arch Manning is not playing like an elite quarterback. He’s barely playing like a pedestrian quarterback. He had some good plays (vs. SJSU), but that game doesn’t mean anything. Ultimately, I think we all jumped the gun. Is he in the Heisman race? No, Arch Manning is not in the Heisman race as of today.”

Finebaum's retreat is more evidence of how overblown the rhetoric around Manning has been since he entered college, even before he ascended to the QB1 job with Quinn Ewers's departure to the NFL.

Many, like Finebaum, were penciling him in to win the sport's biggest award after 95 career passes, mainly against overmatched opponents, entering the year. Others (namely ESPN's Ryan Clark) used the bizarre timing of a question about whether Manning is already a "generational quarterback" to argue that descriptor shouldn't even be used for Arch's uncle Peyton, or Tom Brady or Drew Brees.

Maybe, just maybe, the correct time to evaluate Manning wasn't after good starts vs. Louisiana-Monroe, Mississippi State, on Saturday against the Spartans, or a dud vs. the Buckeyes on Aug. 30, and that like any young QB from any family, he needs time to come into his own and start to reach his potential.