Arch Manning's Season-Level PFF Grade Shows His Progression and Potential

The expectations surrounding quarterback Arch Manning entering his first year starting for the Texas Longhorns were sky high, with his name at the top of the Heisman Trophy list and NFL Draft big boards. Those preseason expectations led to the framing of his season as shaky, if not underwhelming.

But, in retrospect, with the regular season in the past, the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl coming up and his return to Texas in 2026 announced, there is a deserved rationale to change that framing.

In his first of what will be multiple seasons at the helm of the Longhorns, Manning needed time to settle in, but ultimately showed his worth, accumulating 2,942 passing yards, 32 total touchdowns and just seven interceptions.

Entering 2026, he will now be considered one of the top quarterbacks to watch in college football because of the skill set he displayed on the field as the regular season went along.

Manning's 2025 season graded by PFF

Arch Manning PFF grades Texas Longhorns — Nov 15, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks to make a pass during the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

PFF grades have to be taken with a grain of salt as a measure of overall evaluation. Still, the ratings can provide a level of standardization for performance analysis as quarterbacks are compared.

For Manning, they do so favorably:

I don’t put much stock in PFF grades but...

Arch Manning (87.1) was graded higher than more than half of the QBs in the CFP Field, including Trinidad Chambliss (84.7), Gunner Stockton (82.5), Ty Simpson (82.2), Carson Beck (79.8), Behren Morton (77.1), Marcel Reed (69.5), and… https://t.co/71fN1296r6 pic.twitter.com/xAP9RV50ix
— Matt Galatzan (@MattGalatzan) December 16, 2025

Manning's season-long PFF rating finished only behind Vanderbilt's Heisman runner-up Diego Pavia and Tennessee's Joey Aguilar, who threw for the eighth-most yards in the country, among Southeastern Conference quarterbacks. Yes, ahead of the likes of Alabama's Ty Simpson, Georgia's Gunner Stockton, Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss, Texas A&M's Marcel Reed and Oklahoma's John Mateer.

Those five quarterbacks have all brought their teams into the College Football Playoff, another measure of comparison worthy of consideration.

But Manning's place alongside these high-caliber quarterbacks signals one thing for certain: he improved and matured as the season went along to put together a very respectable campaign.

After all the criticism that plagued him and the Texas offense following the defeat to Ohio State and in the subsequent weeks, Manning developed his on-field product. He made visible strides in his ball placement, timing and ability to navigate the pocket in the face of consistent pressure from opposing defenses. There was progression within his comfort, confidence and consistency that expectedly came with more starts under his belt.

And his game-by-game PFF grades showed that. Collecting three grades of 55 or below over the first seven weeks and averaging a rating of 71.4 through the Kentucky game, Manning closed with three 80+ ratings in his last five games and an average of 78.9 from the Mississippi State game forward.

That development resulted in a context-driven, season-level PFF grade of 87.1, which ranks 11th among all quarterbacks and indicates belief in his potential and trajectory.

Manning will have another opportunity to impress a national audience when the Longhorns face the Michigan Wolverines on New Year's Eve, despite a depleted roster due to the transfer portal and NFL Draft, before turning the page to the 2026 season.