From taking over Texas' offense as the full-time starter to entering the season as the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, Arch Manning was one of the biggest storylines in college football on a weekly basis last year. Add in his status as a member of one of football's royal families, and few players commanded more attention and pressure across the sport than the Longhorns quarterback.
The results were ultimately a mixed bag for the 6-4 quarterback on the field. After a slow start, Manning finished the year strong, leading the Longhorns to a bowl game appearance while ending the season with nearly 3,200 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. He didn't finish with any Heisman Trophy votes either.
Manning enters 2026 once again with lofty expectations,
but he is not the preseason Heisman favorite. That belongs toNotre Dame quarterback CJ Carr.
So what will it take for the Texas signal-caller to become the favorite in the race for college football's most prestigious individual award for ESPN's Paul Finebaum, who helped fuel the Manning hype train last preseason when he declared Manning the best college football quarterback since Tim Tebow arrived at Florida in 2006?
"Well, it won't take much," Finebaum said on this week's USA TODAY Sports' College Football Unfiltered podcast with Blake Toppmeyer. "Just a spectacular win over Ohio State the second weekend of the season."
Just take down the preseason top-ranked team in the country that also features two Heisman candidates on offense, huh? Easy peasy.
Manning trails the head-to-head against Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin in his career after the Buckeyes took last year's Week 1 opener against the Longhorns in Columbus 14-7. Manning completed 17-of-30 passes for 170 yards with a touchdown and an interception against a Buckeyes defense that had seven starters taken in April's NFL draft.
He'd turn around his season by the back end of the Longhorns' schedule. He led Steve Sarkisian's team to a 7-1 record, including a bowl win, in their final eight games while throwing for over 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns in that span.
"What's interesting about Arch is, there's a lot of negativity being whispered about him. I don't know where it's coming from. I heard he's not having a good camp. I think some of that might just be put out there. How does anybody really know?," Finebaum added.
So in addition to a Week 2 win against the Buckeyes, what would it take for Manning to get Finebaum's endorsement in the Heisman talk? Finebaum pointed to several questions he's watching, while also highlighting the offensive upgrades Texas made during the offseason. Among those additions was former Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman, who gives the Longhorns another dynamic weapon to pair with Manning alongside Ryan Wingo.
"Can he figure out how to deal with pressure? Can he overcome some of the deficiencies of last year? Yes, he can because he's got a much better offensive line. And he has an NFL-like wide receiver room and running back room," Finebaum said.
Before Manning and No. 4 Texas can take on Ohio State, the Longhorns must first get through Texas State at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 5 at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Be sure to check out USA TODAY Sports' new College Football Unfiltered podcast, hosted by USA TODAY Sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer. You can stream on YouTube or download via Apple podcasts and Spotify.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Arch Manning hype cooled. Paul Finebaum says here's how it heats up again
