Desmond Howard says Heisman hype for Arch Manning is ‘not at all’ warranted
By Jacob Moss
Published:
The Texas Longhorns are set to kick off their 2025 campaign against No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday, and this game will mark the official start of the long-awaited Arch Manning era down in Austin.
Arguably the most hyped recruit in the history of the sport, Manning has been viewed as a presumptive Heisman Trophy winner and first-overall NFL Draft selection since he was still a junior in high school.
Now that his time to start under center for the Longhorns has finally arrived, many believe that the prophecy that has been written for Arch since he first came into the limelight as a 14-year-old is about to be fulfilled. He has spent most of this offseason as the betting favorite to win the Heisman. At BetMGM, Manning (+500) is the outright favorite.
For ESPN’s Desmond Howard, though, Manning’s Heisman hype has been far from warranted up until this point, and he explained why on Friday during an appearance on First Take.
“Not at all. The reason I say that is, unless he was one of the top finalists a year ago,” Howard said when asked if Arch deserves Heisman hype. “I don’t think he deserves that kind of attention coming into the 2025 season. Maybe mention him for the Davey O’Brien Award or the Johnny Unitas, but the Heisman is the best college football player in all of college football. And we have yet to see that.“
Howard does raise a very solid point here, as it’s hard to argue that the insane hype Manning has received has been warranted by what he’s produced on the field so far.
Manning completed 61 of his 90 passes for 939 yards and 9 touchdowns last season against 2 interceptions. He also ran for 108 yards and 4 scores. To this point in his career, he has made 2 starts.
That being said, the tools have always been there for Arch, and now he finally has the opportunity to show why he’s been so highly coveted for over a decade at this point.
Whether or not he is actually able to capitalize on that opportunity, though, remains to be seen.
“The kid has a very high ceiling, he’s extremely talented, but to throw his name in there for the Heisman in late July, early September, I don’t think it’s warranted at this stage,” Howard said. “Now, (Saturday), we’re going to see what he’s all about.”
Kickoff between the top-ranked Longhorns and the Buckeyes is set for noon ET on FOX.
