thecomeback
For the second straight year, Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning started the season as a Heisman Trophy frontrunner. Yet just as in the previous campaign, his early-season play has quickly diminished his candidacy. Even though Texas remains undefeated and holds the No. 1 ranking, Manning's individual stats and on-field consistency have not matched the lofty expectations. While he may be the most recognizable name in college football, that recognition hasn't translated into serious Heisman consideration. According to reports, Heisman voters no longer view him as a viable candidate.
Voters Shed Doubt on Manning's Candidacy
Manning opened the 2026 season as a co-favorite for the Heisman alongside Notre Dame quarterback C.J. Carr. Although he has led Texas to an unblemished record, including a comeback win over then-No. 1 Ohio State, he has fallen out of the lead and is now barely mentioned in Heisman discussions. Ahead of this week's rivalry matchup with the Oklahoma Sooners, Blake Toppmeyer of USA Today interviewed 14 Heisman voters about Manning's chances. None of them said they would place him on their ballot. Furthermore, Toppmeyer reported that several voters felt Manning wasn't even close to earning a spot.
One voter told Toppmeyer, "I don't even think he's in the conversation." Another said, "He may be a winner, but he's not overly impressive as an individual elite player." A third voter remarked, "I think he's closer to No. 10 than No. 3." Yet another commented, "Right now, I would have him as a fringe top-10 candidate." One voter was even more direct: "At this point, I wouldn't even have him on the All-SEC team." However, that same voter noted that Manning's best hope is for Texas to remain No. 1, as many voters tend to support the best player on the best team.
Media Analysts Echo Skepticism
Although the voters were granted anonymity, numerous media members have publicly expressed similar views. ESPN analyst Josh Pate ranked Manning as only the ninth-best quarterback in the SEC. "If we didn't have that, he wouldn't be a top-10 quarterback in this league right now," Pate said last week. "There's not much there, guys. There's not a whole lot to hang your hat on. He's averaging under 200 yards per game, he's taking sacks... There's just not a whole lot there. Not terrible – I'm not saying he's terrible – there's just not a whole lot there."
Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt also said Manning hasn't been that impressive. "Now Arch has not lit it on fire this year," Klatt said on his podcast last week. "Listen, that last quarter and a half, if you want to call it that, those last three drives against Ohio State, he was excellent, more gritty than excellent, but he got the job done. Outside of that guys, and I know that this is a contrarian take and no one wants to have it, Arch has not been that impressive. I know we all want him to be impressive because of the last name, but he's got to take the next step, and the next step for him is playing well on the road, anticipating throws."
Former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron was even harsher, saying Manning looked horrible even in the win over Ohio State. "I thought Arch looked horrible, honestly," McCarron said on the McCready and Siskey Podcast. "And I love the Manning family. I thought Arch did not look good. If his first read was not open, he looked lost. He hangs on that first progression so long... He stares down his receivers way too much. Look at his last couple of possessions. Just take the fourth quarter. When any big throw, it's to his first progression. He never came off his first progression and hit another big throw... I'm not hating against Arch at all. Like I said, I love the Manning family. Known him since I was young or younger. I think Arch has a chance to be good, but I think he's got a lot of growing to do from a pocket awareness standpoint, from a progression standpoint, playing faster. I watched that young kid, the freshman from Tennessee tonight, and I thought him going through progressions looked better than what Arch looks. And Arch has had a whole year of playing experience over him."
Clearly, Manning's on-field performance this season has fallen short of the immense preseason Heisman hype that surrounded him.
Originally reported by thecomeback.