Maybe they're serious. Or maybe they're just trying to fill time. But the biggest topic in the college football media this week is where Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning should transfer after the season. Especially at SEC media partner ESPN.
Arch Manning's struggles have led to wild speculation about his future. Steve Sarkisian's coaching
has been called into question and there's been a running dialog about whether Manning will transfer.Even USA TODAY Sports not only speculated whether Manning would transfer, but listed five possible landing spots. However, the biggest voice leading the conversation is ESPN.
ESPN lobbying for Arch Manning to transfer to LSU, Miami, or Ole Miss is a massive miss. The Longhorns are a media partner. I wonder
if Saban has an issue with this given his stance on the state of college football. I’ve never seen ESPN do this with any other player. pic.twitter.com/ShKQmaVGBj
— Cory Yates (@CoryRAanalytics) October 28, 2026
Manning has always gotten outsized praise and criticism. He's the biggest name in college football from the most famous quarterbacking family playing for the biggest brand in the sport. He's always going to be fodder for content. Be it declaring he'd win the Heisman before ever taking a snap as a starter to calling him a "flop" after a few struggles, the media knows talking about Manning draws attention.
But it also seems harmful to the player and to the program. It certainly helps UT's rivals. Former ESPN analyst and former Georgia QB David Pollack has been the most vocal, saying an "SEC coach" told him a transfer will happen. Pollack wouldn't name his source, but given his ties to Kirby Smart and his prediction of Manning heading to Georgia, it seems logical where his information came from.
An SEC Coach Told Me Arch Manning Will Leave Texas@BrentRollinsPhD pic.twitter.com/RwO6p56CZ9
— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) October 28, 2026
It really does seem the media is trying to influence Manning. But it's more likely that it's a slow news week in college football and ESPN and other media outlets are filling time with a popular topic.
What should Arch do next year? pic.twitter.com/RzcxTOGRM3
— The Ryen Russillo Show (@TheRyenRussillo) October 29, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Is national media lobbying Arch Manning to transfer away from Texas?
