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Arch Manning leads the 10 biggest quarterback disappointments in college football
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- Arch Manning leads the 10 biggest quarterback disappointments in college football
The fuss over Arch Manning was too easy to see coming. It's all right there in the name: Manning could've decided to be an accountant, not a quarterback, but choosing to go into the family business at Texas meant accepting the scrutiny that has followed in the wake of nearly every throw of his first year as the Longhorns ' starter.
But the reverse is true, too.
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Manning was at or near the top of every preseason Heisman Trophy list after playing well in limited backup duty as a redshirt freshman. Had he played up to those expectations, there's every reason to think that he'd be the most celebrated player in college football.
That hasn't been the case. Instead of a coronation, Manning's starting debut has been defined by spotty play and the two-loss Longhorns' shocking plummet out of College Football Playoff contention .
Massive publicity and microscopic assessments of his performance haven't helped. But after an inconsistent stretch as the new starter, Manning stands as the most disappointing quarterback in the Bowl Subdivision.
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He has plenty of competition in the USA TODAY Sports evaluation of high-profile passers who have slumped through the first chunk of the regular season:
1. Arch Manning , Texas
In two games against Power Four teams, Manning is a combined 33 of 59 for 433 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He went 11 of 25 for 114 yards against Texas-El Paso. He's been solid as a runner, with 160 yards and five scores on 3.7 yards per carry, but has also been far too willing to tuck and run instead of going through his progressions. Manning must also shoulder some of the blame for the Longhorns' disappointing start.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning (16) is tackled by Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese (8) tackles in the second quarter of their game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Aug 30, 2025.
2. DJ Lagway , Florida
Lagway got back on track with 298 yards in Florida's win against Texas. But that came after a brutal three-game losing streak that saw the sophomore sputter against South Florida , throw five interceptions against No. 11 LSU and average only 2.7 yards per attempt in bad weather conditions against No. 3 Miami. Lagway's seven interceptions are tied for the second most in the FBS.
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3. Drew Allar , Penn State
Allar has been the face of No. 22 Penn State's surprising ineffectiveness on offense. In his last two games, he's tossed a game-ending interception against No. 2 Oregon and then failed to get the Nittany Lions past UCLA in a stunning 42-37 loss . The senior ranks fourth from the bottom in the Big Ten at 6.9 yards per attempt.
4. Cade Klubnik , Clemson
Klubnik is another established Power Four starter who, like his team, has failed to match preseason expectations. The senior was terrible in the opener against LSU, had two key turnovers in a loss to No. 13 Georgia Tech and disappeared in the second half against Syracuse. Klubnik has four interceptions after tossing six in 486 attempts last year.
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5. Nico Iamaleava , UCLA
Iamaleava had by far his best game since transferring to UCLA in the Bruins ' big upset of Penn State, with 166 yards through the air, 128 yards on the ground and five touchdowns. That came after a terrible start that saw the Tennessee transfer come up short in losses to Utah, UNLV , New Mexico and Northwestern.
6. Gio Lopez , North Carolina
Lopez was Bill Belichick's handpicked quarterback out of the transfer portal after a solid freshman season at South Alabama. Injuries have played a role and sidelined him for last weekend's loss to Clemson, but Lopez's skill set has simply not translated to the Power Four. He had three interceptions without a touchdown in losses to TCU and Central Florida.
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7. Garrett Nussmeier , LSU
Nussmeier's average play has been one of the most puzzling early-season storylines in the SEC. Seen heading into the year as the top quarterback prospect in the upcoming draft class, the senior is averaging just 6.3 yards per pass with four touchdowns and three interceptions in games against FBS competition. Nussmeier sits 55th nationally in yards per game after ranking fourth in the country last season.
8. Mark Gronowski , Iowa
At just 127.2 passing yards per game overall and zero touchdown passes in three games against the Power Four, Gronowski is just following in the footsteps of recent Iowa tradition. But that in itself is surprising: Gronowski transferred from South Dakota State as one of the most decorated quarterbacks in Championship Subdivision history and was seen as the missing piece for a frustratingly incompetent offense. While that has not been the case, he has played better since Iowa got into Big Ten play.
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9. Maddux Madsen , Boise State
With Ashton Jeanty off to the NFL, Madsen has taken on a larger role for Boise State with mixed results. The big issue has been turnovers. Madsen tossed six interceptions all of last year, with half coming in the playoff loss to Penn State. But he has five picks already this season, four coming in last week's loss to No. 16 Notre Dame. Madsen has played very poorly in the Broncos' two losses when they have managed 14 combined points.
10. Avery Johnson , Kansas State
Johnson is still a work in progress as a second-year starter, and there have been moments that flashed his offseason growth as a thrower and his increasing command of Kansas State's scheme. But there's also his late interception to seal Army's upset. His 88 yards in the loss to Arizona. Against Baylor, Johnson went toe to toe with Sawyer Robertson but tossed a crucial pick-six that sparked the Bears ' win.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College footbal quarterback dissapointments include Arch Manning
