"Travis Hunter had brand equity" - CFB insider weighs in on Arch Manning's chances to win the Heisman in 2025

The Arch Manning era has arrived in Texas after Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers declared for the 2025 NFL Draft after they were beaten by the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl Classic on Jan. 10. The debate around the two quarterbacks has rumbled on for two years and Manning finally has the chance to claim the starter's job for coach Steve Sarkisian's team.

During Saturday's segment of the On3 podcast, analyst Ari Wasserman weighed in on Manning's Heisman chances comparing his brand equity to the reigning holder, Colorado's Travis Hunter.

"It's really hard with the Heisman because people come out of nowhere all the time. The thing is that Arch Manning has brand equity which I think is really important when it comes to the Heisman race. I think that Travis Hunter had brand equity too in terms of what he stood for and what he did, who he played for and what they accomplished on the field. I think if you're a quarterback, you have to hit certain litmus marks." [1:00]

"To me, Arch Manning is the perfect Heisman candidate because he's the Texas quarterback, they're probably gonna make the playoff next year and he has a name that everyone recognizes. People are gonna be locked in on him and he has a chance to put up big stats both as a runner and a passer. He's the perfect Heisman candidate in January."

When Ewers was injured during the 2024 season and Manning was the Longhorns' starter, his Heisman Trophy chances surged for a short time before he was relegated back to backup status. With the path to Texas QB1 clear, Manning is the second favorite to win the coveted accolade (+950) according to FanDuel, just behind LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (+900).

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Analyst hails the Arch Manning era in college football

On Thursday, On3 analyst Thomas Goldkamp ranked Arch Manning as the No. 4 quarterback in the '2025 Impact Top 25 QBs' after the departure of the divisive Quinn Ewers and hailed the quarterback's expected impact for the Longhorns next season.

"Manning was good enough in his relief action at quarterback early in the 2024 season that there were at least some calls for him to take over as the starter late in the year. Steve Sarkisian stuck with Quinn Ewers, of course, but the luxury to have a backup as capable as Manning was unmistakable," Goldkamp wrote.

"The freshman phenom threw for 939 yards and nine touchdowns ... It’ll be the Arch Manning show at quarterback in 2025, so buckle up."

Arch Manning lost top spot in the rankings to Arizona State's Sam Leavitt who was followed by Penn State's Drew Allar and Florida's phenom, DJ Lagway who led the Gators through their rut this past season.