CFB insider makes his stance clear on whether Arch Manning will become the greatest of all time in college football

Arch Manning is a hot topic on social media, and there's not much gray area in the way that fans speak about him. As On3's J.D. PicKell pointed out, the opinion surrounding the Texas quarterback range from the thought that he'll be the best ever or the hype is solely because of his family lineage.

Manning was 247Sports' Class of 2023 composite rankings' top-rated player, ahead of Alabama edge rusher Keon Keeley, Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava and now-Oregon signal-caller Dante Moore. Being so highly touted, paired with having the same last name as his Super Bowl-winning uncles, has birthed a sort of hysteria.

"Let's start with the first thought — he's the greatest of all time, he's gonna be this, he's gonna be that," PicKell said Tuesday on the On3 podcast "The Hard Count with J.D. PicKell" (Timestamp: 29:19).

"Like, I don't know. Nobody knows. I think he was worth his five-star rating. I think he's got all the tools to be one of the better quarterbacks in college football this year."

Manning told ESPN's Marty Smith in an interview posted Thursday that he hasn't done anything just yet.

"Arch isn't asking for all the coverage that he's getting," PicKell said. "Now, he agreed to do the sit-down interview, but in general, when it's Day 45 of us comparing Arch Manning to some ridiculous NFL quarterback – 'Is Arch Manning the next Tom Brady?' – Dude, I don't know."

Why is there so much excitement surrounding Arch Manning?

Fox Sports NFL draft analyst Rob Rang wrote a piece last week theorizing where underclassmen such as Arch Manning and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith would go if they were eligible for this year's draft.

Manning was the first player taken off the board in that mock draft.

"In this all-available scenario, any franchise lacking a long-term lock at quarterback would be canvassing the country for the top prospect," Rang wrote. "While the sample size is undeniably tiny, Manning has already demonstrated the requisite size, arm strength, accuracy and athleticism to project as a future NFL star, like his famous uncles and grandfather."

Disappointed in such expectations, PicKell helped slow the roll.

"Don't be stupid," PicKell said. "Like, don't be an idiot. I don't think we're asking too much there. And if this person that put that mock draft together genuinely believes that — I don't know who it was, for the record — then, like, more power to you. But, when you've got Arch Manning at No. 1 — he's started a couple of games — and you've got Abdul Carter at something like (No.) 7?"

The other quarterbacks listed in that mock draft were Miami's Cam Ward (No. 21 to the Pittsburgh Steelers) and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders (No. 26, Los Angeles Rams).