With Quinn Ewers suffering an oblique strain in the second quarter of Texas’ matchup against UTSA, Arch Manning saw the most significant playing time of his college career on Saturday.
And to say that the former 5-star prospect lived up to the hype would be an understatement, as the grandson of Archie Manning and nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning completed 9 of his 12 pass attempts for 223 yards and four touchdowns, adding 53 yards and a touchdown on the ground, including an impressive 67-yard touchdown run.
While it’s unclear when Ewers — a projected first-round pick — will return to the field for the Longhorns, Manning’s future in Austin is clearly a bright one. So much so that ESPN’s Paul Finebaum is guaranteeing that the 19-year-old will become the first member of the storied Manning family to win college football’s top individual honor, the Heisman Trophy.
“Book it. Arch Manning is going to win the Heisman. I am in on that,” Finebaum said on on SportsCenter on Sunday morning. “His granddad and Peyton probably should have won it and Arch will… I don’t know if he’ll win it this year, but Arch Manning will definitely win the Heisman at Texas.”
Paul Finebaum says Arch Manning will be the first member of the Manning family to win the Heisman Trophy.
“Book it. Arch Manning is going to win the Heisman. I am in on that. His granddad and Peyton probably should have won it and Arch will… I don’t know if he’ll win it this… pic.twitter.com/iZneeHfa5P
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 15, 2024
To Finebaum’s point, despite each being finalists for the prestigious award during their respective college careers, neither Arch, Peyton nor Eli ever won the Heisman Trophy. Will Arch finally break the Manning family curse when it comes to the Heisman Trophy? We’ll find out within the next few years. But if his performance on Saturday was any indication, he’ll likely at least find himself in contention for the honor at some point.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.