CFB analyst names Arch Manning as the first-year quarterback with the "biggest opportunity to come out firing" in 2025

Aside from Arch Manning at Texas, there's going to be quite a number of first-year starting quarterbacks at blue-blood programs in the upcoming 2025 season. Many coaches face the challenge of replacing their departed quarterback with less experienced but talented folks.

With reports coming out of spring camps, Julian Sayin is expected to start for Ohio State, Bryce Underwood is anticipated to start for Michigan and CJ Carr looks like he's leading the race at Notre Dame.

RJ Young waded in on the discussion of the 2025 first-year starting quarterbacks in a recent installment of the “Number One College Football Show.” The analyst believes Manning has the best chance to impress next season with the Longhorns.

“When I put these guys into a bag – Bryce Underwood, year 1 starter, we think; Julian Sayin, year 1 starter, we think; Arch Manning, definitely going to be the starting quarterback at Texas; CJ Carr, year 1 starter, we think," Young said (timestamp 6:33). Who's got the best opportunity here to come out firing?

“Well, right now, I'm going to take Arch Manning, [and] Julian Sayin, but I'm going to take Arch Manning before I take Julian Sayin. I would expect Arch Manning to throw three bills if anybody is going to throw three bills in Ohio vs Texas.”

RJ Young believes Arch Manning is a more proven player in college football

Arch Manning saw significant playing time for Texas in the 2024 college football season as a backup. He started a couple of games while Quinn Ewers was injured and he also came on from the bench in others. This makes RJ Young more confident in Manning than other first-year quarterbacks.

“I'm going to give the edge to the quarterback at Texas on this because I've seen more of the quarterback at Texas and I trust more of what I've seen from the quarterback at Texas," Young said (timestamp 8:05). "Julian Sayin, we'll see.

“CJ Carr and Bryce Underwood, they're in the second tier for me. I think Bryce Underwood is as good as people have told, and the best quarterback in the 2025 class. He's going to be hampered by what they got in the run game and what they got at receiver.”

It’s going to be an exciting year in 2025 in terms of quarterback plays as new talented players in the power take the starting role. Many are already anticipating what they have to offer and there's a belief one of the first-year quarterbacks could end up winning the Heisman Trophy.