Arch Manning continues to receive plenty of scrutiny across social media, and it's becoming more apparent that there really isn't much middle ground when it comes to evaluating his game. At this point, it seems like people either love Manning or they're extremely critical of him.
Recently, Heisman voter George Wrighster said on X, "Why isn't Arch Manning getting the Shedeur Sanders treatment from the media and fans? Both are privileged, benefit from nepotism, and have underwhelmed."
He also said:
"How the noise around Arch Manning has been, oh number one pick, best quarterback in college football last year. This year same noise coming into the season and he's just been ok."
Could this be clickbait, or is there some truth behind it? That really depends on the beholder's eyes. Everyone will have different opinions on the case for and against Manning.
Wrighster seems to believe Manning could be slightly overrated because of the last name on the back of his jersey. Shedeur Sanders received similar attention during his time at Colorado, especially while playing for his father, Deion Sanders.
There were also evaluators who believed Shedeur could potentially be a high first-round pick, but he ultimately fell to the fifth round and is currently the Browns' backup quarterback. That said, the Manning and Sanders situations aren't exactly apples to apples.
PREDICT THE CFB SEASON: PFN's Free CFB Playoff Predictor
One major difference is the level of competition they faced in college. Sanders played one Colorado season in the Pac-12 and one in the Big 12, while Texas has competed in the SEC since 2024.
Arch has the Longhorns ranked number one overall in the AP Poll and with the third-highest probability of winning the National Championship, according to PFN's CFB Playoff Meter. There is something to be said for playing QB at a championship-caliber level, playing team football against the best of the best.
Another difference is the coaching aspect. Steve Sarkisian is widely regarded as one of the better offensive minds in college football, giving Manning the opportunity to learn and develop under a coach with extensive experience developing quarterbacks.
The situation Manning is in at Texas is simply different from what Sanders experienced at Colorado. Then there's the maturity aspect that comes with playing quarterback under a massive spotlight.
DIVE IN: PFN's Free CFB HQ — Team and Player Stats, Info, and More
Sanders faced criticism at times for how he handled the media and the attention surrounding him. Manning, on the other hand, has generally taken a much quieter approach. He's certainly in the media spotlight, but most of the time, the attention comes to him rather than him seeking it out.
Manning has shown a level of maturity while playing under an enormous amount of attention at Texas, and that ability to handle the spotlight could be important if he eventually makes the jump to the NFL.
Whether Manning is worthy of being the No. 1 overall pick or a high first-round selection is a completely different argument. There are legitimate questions to discuss when evaluating his game, just like there are with any quarterback prospect.
PFN's Draft Analyst Ian Cummings has Arch as his QB2 only behind Dante Moore in his Top 100 NFL Draft Prospects, so clearly, there are highly regarded analysts who like what he's put out on tape.
But when it comes to asking why Manning hasn't received the same treatment as Shedeur Sanders, the two situations aren't quite as comparable as some make them out to be.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
