Steve Spurrier Throws Some Cold Water On Arch Manning Hype

Legendary head coach Steve Spurrier doesn't exactly believe the consensus view about the upcoming college football season.

Many around the sport view the Texas Longhorns, after a resurgent 2024 season and playoff appearance, as the runaway favorites in the SEC, and potentially the National Championship race. In large part because the Longhorns pair an elite defense, top-level coaching, highly-ranked recruiting classes and, most importantly, Heisman Trophy frontrunner Arch Manning at quarterback.

Spurrier though, doesn't exactly buy into the Manning hype.

"Most people are picking Texas to win the SEC in football," Spurrier explained in an appearance on the "Another Dooley Noted" podcast. "They’ve got Arch Manning already winning the Heisman, too. My question is, if he was this good, how come they let Quinn Ewers play all the time last year? He was a seventh-round pick?

"You only have to ask Coach Sark how come you played that one instead of this one," he continued. "Hopefully, he’ll say, ‘Because we thought he was better than that one.’ Isn’t that why you play one guy and not the other? Unless it was discipline, and there was no discipline or anything."

Texas Longhorns starting quarterback and presumed Heisman Trophy frontrunner Arch Manning on the field during the 2024 season. (Photo by Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Is Steve Spurrier Right About Arch Manning?

When asked about sitting for the majority of the 2024 season, Manning told the media that it was difficult to accept.

"It was tough. I mean, it’s tough in this age," Manning, said, according to The Athletic. "Sometimes it’s worth the wait."

"But I hope it pays off. There’s nowhere else I want to be," Manning said. "I want to be at Texas. I’ve got friends here. I love this place. So, I want to be the quarterback at the University of Texas."

It's easy to get carried away with preseason hype, hype that doesn't always pan out. But the criticism from Spurrier, that the Longhorns started Ewers because he was better than Manning, isn't really warranted.

Ewers had more experience and though not the best NFL prospect, was a well above-average college quarterback. And for a team with National Championship aspirations, it was completely justifiable to start the more experienced option, even if he didn't have the arm talent and upside. Sometimes, avoiding mistakes at the collegiate level is more important than being the best player on the field. 

Manning, now with another year under his belt and some in-game action, is set up to succeed more in 2025 than he was in 2024. And yes, there is an exceptional amount of hype around him. But that's not his fault, and it shouldn't be viewed as a disappointment if he's an elite starter, leads his team to an SEC title and playoff berth, and doesn't win the Heisman. 

And who knows? Maybe Manning doesn't pan out and goes in the 7th round himself. Or maybe he's exactly who everyone thinks he is, and he's the number one overall pick. We'll all, including Spurrier, find out soon enough.