CFB analyst gives $6.5M NIL-valued Arch Manning a heads-up as DJ Lagway remains a threat ahead of the 2025 season

Arch Manning and DJ Lagway are two quarterbacks expected to a make significant impact in the 2025 college football season. The two had noteworthy performances last season and will be out to make an impression starters in 2025.

On Monday's installment of “The Number One College Football Show,” host Richard Young compared the two quarterbacks ahead of the upcoming season.

Arch Manning, who has an NIL value of $6.5 million according to On3, is currently projected as the favorite for the 2025 Heisman Trophy per betting odds. Richard Young echoed that fact on the said episode of his show.

“The trajectory for Arch Manning we see is toward the Heisman. We can already see that conversation,” Young said (Timestamp 3:18).

However, Young believes DJ Lagway will also enter the Heisman Trophy conversion during the season. The quarterback gave a glimpse of what he could offer in the 2024 season, and there's no doubt that he'll continue to get better on the field for Florida.

“I think more people –and Florida fans probably feel heard here – are going to start seeing that DJ Lagway was not any sort of a fluke last year, and that what he contributed to that team was real,” Young said (Timestamp 3:24).

“As a matter of fact, there's a great argument for if he does not get hurt against Georgia, they might go win that football game. They might be the team to knock them off first. That was a lot of fun. I 100% believe that DJ Lagway is going to enter into the Heisman conversation.”

Richard Young believes Arch Manning has an edge over DJ Lagway ahead of 2025

While having both in the Heisman race next season, Richard Young offered a comparison of who will have in better season in 2025. Despite Lagway tallying better stats in 2024, Richard Young believes Manning will have a better season than him in 2025.

“When I look at both of those players, you have to give the edge to Arch because Arch is probably going to be in a little better situation offensively and defensively,” Young said (Timestamp 2:30).

Richard Young had a lot of praise for Manning on the show, believing he'll be crucial to the Texas offense next season. There's a lot of hype around the quarterback and the analyst believes he'll live up to them.

“Arch Manning is the love child of Colt McCoy and David Ash,” Young said (Timestamp 1:28). That dude is so fast and that arm is so lively that you feel like all Ryan Wingo’s got to do is run the routes.”

Arch Manning and DJ Lagway will get the opportunity to face off in the 2025 season when Texas takes on Florida in Gainesville on Oct. 4. Coming at a time when the season is going deep, it's bound to be a crucial match with postseason implications for both teams.