“Comparing him to Bronny is outlandish”: CFB fans react as Arch Manning draws comparisons with Lebron James’ son 

Following two seasons as a backup option, Arch Manning is set to become Texas' starting quarterback in the 2025 college football season. However, he is receiving quite a lot of criticism online, with many accusing him of getting this far in his football career due to nepotism.

Arch Manning recently participated in a Complex Sports segment where he read out and reacted to mean tweets posted about him. These included a tweet that labeled him a "nepo baby" and another comparing him to Los Angeles Lakers point guard Bronny James.

Rather than taking offense from the tweets, Manning handled the criticism with humor, delivering a lighthearted and witty response that showcased his easygoing personality. However, fans on X disagreed as one wrote:

"Comparing him to Bronny is outlandish."

"People are gunna hate only because he is a Manning," another wrote.

Some fans focussed on the positives and praised him for his poise.

"What terrific answers. Handled all that perfectly," a fan wrote.

"Arch wins Heisman and goes number 1 overall nepo or not," another fan wrote.

"He’s gonna be epic next season," another fan wrote.

Arch Manning's reaction to mean tweets

Arch Manning had a brilliant reaction to all the tweets he read in the segment of Complex. It started with being called “nepo baby,” a troll aimed at him due to his last name, but he reacted well to it.

“Yea, I mean, that’s fair,” Manning said. “I do have a lot of football in my family, so it’s a fair comment. Freedom of speech.”

The former five-star also came across a tweet comparing him to “the Bronny James of football.” While the remark likely wasn’t intended as a compliment, Manning didn’t seem fazed, taking it in stride with his usual laid-back demeanor.

“I don’t know Bronny James. DMed him once. Seems like a great guy. So maybe that’s a compliment,” Manning said.

While some tweets were harsh, Arch Manning also received his share of praise. One fan went so far as to declare that he exudes “previously unimaginable levels of Manning swagger.”

“I love that. I guess that’s a compliment,” Manning said. “Peyton and Eli didn’t have much swag, so I’m glad I get to up our swag in the Manning family.”

In another tweet, a fan jokingly commented that Manning resembled Baltimore Ravens star running back Derrick Henry in his high school highlights.

“I wish I was Derrick Henry. He’s a great-looking athlete,” Manning said. “I also played against terrible competition in high school. Not terrible, but like, smaller competition in high school. So that’s not really saying much but thank you.”

Manning steps into his first season as Texas' starting quarterback after spending the past two years behind Quinn Ewers. In 2024, he threw for 939 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions while adding 108 rushing yards and four scores on the ground.