They say pressure either bursts pipes or makes diamonds. For Arch Manning, it may be both. The Texas QB hasn’t even thrown a season’s worth of snaps and somehow, folks are crowning him as a potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, not even knowing whether he’ll be entering the draft. But not everyone is buying the hype.
Former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray hasn’t exactly been gracious in his Arch Manning verdict. The SEC leader in passing yards (13,166 yards) and touchdowns (121) didn’t hold back during his appearance on Sirius XM’s College Sports Channel. “I’m not sold like so many other people are that this guy is going to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, that he’s just going to be unbelievable,” said Murray. And even now, he’s still not high on the hyped Longhorns’ QB.
Aaron Murray joined Connor O’Gara on Saturday Down South on June 7 to drop his verdict on the SEC QBs he’s high on. For him, Florida’s DJ Lagway is a better SEC QB than Arch Manning. “I think DJ is the most gifted quarterback in this league,” he said. “This guy checks off every single box. Elite arm strength. Elite athleticism. I think has a great head on his shoulders, built really, really well. I think DJ Lagway, if anyone has the most potential to being a number one pick in the NFL draft eventually [be] one day. I would bet on DJ because he has all the attributes that you want in a quarterback.” As for Arch Manning, he said, “I think Arch has a good arm. I don’t think anyone would say that Arch is super electric as a thrower. I don’t think he’s elite when it comes to arm strength. I think he’s good. He’s above average. I think he can make every throw you want… But there isn’t anything that is like ‘elite’ [about him].” His words were sharp for Arch Manning but grounded in football logic.
DJ Lagway’s performance in 2024 backed it up. He went 6-0 as a starter, replacing an injured Graham Mertz in the second half of the season. He threw for 1,915 passing yards and 12 touchdowns in 2024 for limited reps as a freshman. “I would take [Garrett Nussmeier], I would take DJ, I would take [LaNorris Sellers] over him,” Aaron Murray said. So that’s three SEC QBs ahead of Arch Manning. And he didn’t even stop there.
While Arch Manning carries the famous last name, Aaron Murray even picked Washington State transfer QB John Mateer over him, per the current situation. “He’s another dude, super athletic, I think has a really good arm,” he said. “I think because of the experience, I would probably take him right now over Arch.” As far as experience is concerned, the Oklahoma QB is seasoned coming off a 3,139-yard and 29 touchdowns campaign under OC Ben Arbuckle, who followed him at OU. These were calculated comparisons based on game tape, physical tools, and real production. And Arch Manning is yet to truly prove his hype.
Aaron Murray remains firm in his Arch Manning stance
In addition to his unsold verdict, Aaron Murray also raised a sharp question — “If you are so good, and everyone has you projected as the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft come 2026, why in the h— are you not playing above a seventh-round quarterback?” Needless to say, this rubbed people the wrong way, and he had to explain himself.
After the internet lit up, Aaron Murray circled back on SiriusXM, saying his comments were “taken out of context.” But even then, he didn’t really budge. He made it clear that he’s not hating on Arch, he’s just waiting for proof. My big thing has always been with Arch during the entire process, from the moment he set foot there in Texas to now, leading into his first season, is I need to see it first. And this goes for every quarterback,” he said. “What has he done? What has he truly done?” And he’s not wrong. Arch Manning’s stats is 939 yards and nine touchdowns.
But with the full-time gig at Texas now his, it’s prove-it time. And that big test will kick off on November 15 when Arch Manning leads his crew against Georgia.
The post Arch Manning Gets Dragged Back Into Unwanted Spotlight as Ex-SEC QB Delivers Strong Verdict on DJ Lagway & John Mateer appeared first on EssentiallySports.