Paul Finebaum reacts to Arch Manning's decision to return to Texas for 2026 season

After a year very much riding the rails of the Arch Manning hype train, ESPN personality Paul Finebaum might be forgiven for being a little shy about leaping on again. But with Manning's decision to return to Texas for 2026 announced, the train will likely roll on again.

High Expectations for Manning

A season ago, Arch Manning was set to take the helm of the Texas offense with expectations that were through the roof. Manning played well in two starts in 2024 following injury to Quinn Ewers and a handful of relief appearances. He opened 2025 as a favorite for the Heisman Trophy and the QB of the preseason No. 1 Texas Longhorns.

Finebaum's Take

Things didn't go very well from there, and it was the memories of that hype that apparently reflected back to Finebaum as he discussed Manning's return on The Paul Finebaum Show. His tongue-in-cheek reaction to Manning's return certainly speaks volumes on the hype applicable to QB1 at a top program, particularly when he's the third generation of a quarterbacking dynasty.

No, I'm not quite ready to declare him the Heisman winner. Give me a couple months on that one.
Paul Finebaum

Manning's Struggles

Finebaum was on record as far back as September 2024 in declaring that Manning would win the Heisman. But after Manning struggled in a Week 1 loss to Ohio State (57% completions, 170 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception), Finebaum led the chorus to suggest that maybe that Heisman favorite status was more than a little presumptuous.

Manning played poorly throughout the early portions of the season, going 11-for-25 for 114 yards in a Week 3 win over UTEP. He struggled horribly at Kentucky, going 12-for-27 for 132 yards. He threw two picks in an upset loss to Florida.

Still a Bright Future

Manning did rally late in the season, outplayinig Diego Pavia in a win over Vanderbilt, passing for nearly 400 yards against Arkansas, and leading an upset of Texas A&M to close the regular season. His overall stats-- 2,942 passing yards and 24 touchdowns to seven interceptions-- suggest an excellent season. The expectations placed on Manning were essentially unreachable, but he remains a top QB prospect.

Yes, Finebaum is making a sly joke about endorsing Manning as a pre-season Heisman favorite. But stranger things have certainly happened than Manning leading a sterling 2026 season that makes Finebaum's Heisman prediction from back in 2024 ultimately come true. But maybe the hype train won't roll into 2026 at quite the breakneck speak that it did in 2025.