One of the most excessively hyped college football quarterbacks in history, 21-year-old Arch Manning, did very little to justify the mania surrounding him in his first-ever start for the Texas Longhorns, for whom he had thrown just 95 passes, completing 63, in his first 12 games over two seasons off the bench.
Fans online spared nothing with their unflattering memes poking fun at Manning before the top-ranked Longhorns opener against the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes was even over.
Manning Underwhelms in Overhyped Debut
Manning â nephew to NFL greats Peyton and Eli Manning and son of their non-NFL brother Cooper Manning â was an unqualified disappointment as the game entered the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter, with Ohio State getting the ball bay leading 14-0.
The Longhorns had the ball on the Ohio State nine yard line when Manning overthrew receiver Parker Livingstone in the end zone, causing Texas to give the ball away on downs.
Finally, a Manning Highlight
Manning’s first noteworthy highlights came late in the fourth quarter when Manning hit Ryan Wingo for a 28-yard completion with 4:10 remaining. Four plays later Manning tossed his first touchdown pass, for 32 yards to Livingstone.
The hype surrounding Manning started when he was at Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans, where his highlight plays against largely outclassed prep opposition went viral on Instagram and TikTok. Thanks to his virality and the wild hype that came with it, Manning has reportedly become college football’s richest player, with $6.8 million in “name, image and likeness” (NIL) deals â essentially, commercial endorsements â lined up before the 2025 season started.
Heisman Odds Take Immediate Drop
“Manning was crowned the next great quarterback in college football and the presumptive No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft this offseason. He just hadn’t proved it yet,” wrote Fansided‘s Alicia de Artola. “At halftime of Texas’ season opener against Ohio State, college football fans and media are wondering if all that hype was hot air.”
The consensus among NFL media outlets is that Manning will be the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2026, though the young quarterback with the famous name still has a season of college eligibility remaining and has not yet stated whether he plans to enter the draft of not.
Manning entered the game as the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy as well, but after his 5-10, 26-yard first half debacle, those odds according to FanDuel Sportsbook dropped from +700 to +1000. In other words, from seven to one, to 10 to one.
Manning’s First Start Does Not End Well
In the final play before the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, Manning showed a flash of his pro potential, throwing into double coverage to connect with Jack Endries on the sideline for a 30-yard completion and a first down as Manning attempted to lead a dramatic drive to win or tie the game.
But the highlight-reel pass did not seem to outweigh Manning’s overall subpar outing.
“We should all remember that this is Manning’s first start. He’s getting an introduction to playing on the road in one of the most hostile environments in college football. And Ohio State has one of the most formidable defenses in the country,” Artola wrote. “But that’s the reasonable take on the whole situation. In sports, overreactions are much more fun. And that’s what social media is best at.”
Texas went on to lose the game to the defending national champions, 14-7.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Fans Make Feelings Clear on Underwhelming Arch Manning 2025 Debut appeared first on Heavy Sports.