Arch Manning Among Early Favorites for 2025 Heisman Trophy

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AUSTIN -- Travis Hunter has been the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner for less than 24 hours but we're already looking ahead to next year's award ceremony in New York.
ESPN recently listed its list of way-too-early Heisman candidate for next season, and unsurprisingly, Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning was featured among an elite group of names. With Quinn Ewers very likely headed to the NFL, Manning is right in line to take over the reins next year after getting notable reps under his belt this season.
Here are the other players ESPN thinks could be in Heisman contention:
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
Ryan Williams, WR, Alabama
Sam Leavitt, QB, Arizona State
Kevin Jennings, QB, SMU
LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
Jordan James, RB, Oregon
Nate Frazier, RB, Georgia
Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
DJ Lagway, QB, Florida
Nico Iamaleava, QB, Tennessee
Manning's dual-threat ability gives him a leg-up over some other quarterbacks like Allar and Nussmeier, but Jennings, Sellers, Klubnik and Leavitt offer their own bit of juice in that regard.
Manning will be at a disadvantage when it comes to experience compared to this group of QBs, but he's proven that he's capable of leading the offense. When Ewers was hurt in non-conference play, Manning started back-to-back games, including the SEC opener against Mississippi State.
He's seen action in eight games this season, going 61 of 90 passing for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions along with 21 carries for 100 yards and four scores on the ground.
Manning and No. 5 Texas will face Klubnik and Clemson in the first round of the College Football Playoff in Austin on Saturday, Dec. 21.
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Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7
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