Why Arch Manning Reportedly Wasn't Graded as No. 1 Pick by NFL Scouts Before Season

Few players were more hyped coming into the 2025 college football season than Texas quarterback Arch Manning, despite spending his first two years in Austin as Quinn Ewers' backup.

Around the NFL, however, the view on the young quarterback was more measured.

According to Albert Breer of SI.com, "Don't fall for people who built [Manning] up over the past nine months now tearing him right back down. He wasn't seen by actual NFL evaluators as a No. 1 pick during the summer, mainly because they didn't have nearly enough evidence to say that about him. Now, he could still become that. For now, though, he's going through the process that a lot of young quarterbacks go through in learning to be a college starter. Even if some folks thought he'd be exempt from it."

Manning has gotten off to a rough start in the 2025 season, namely finishing just 11-of-25 for 114 yards, a touchdown and an interception against UTEP on Saturday. He did rush for 51 yards and two scores as well, but the passing game has been a disappointment thus far.

That hardly means that Manning is a bust—most quarterbacks aren't judged only on their first three games as the full-time starter—but it does mean he's looked like a major work-in-progress. It sounds as though NFL evaluators were expecting that possibility, however.