During his four seasons at Florida, quarterback Tim Tebow recorded impressive stats with 9,286 passing yards, 2,947 rushing yards, and 145 total touchdowns. He was not only the first underclassman to win the Heisman Trophy but also played a pivotal role in leading the Gators to two BCS National Championships. Furthermore, he departed as the SEC’s all-time leader in career passing efficiency, completion percentage, and rushing touchdowns.
Now, Paul Finebaum believes that Arch Manning’s upcoming season as the presumed starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns could eclipse the hype surrounding Tebow during his college career. Speaking with On3.com, the SEC Network host remarked that the expectations for Manning might surpass even those placed on Tebow and fellow Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. “I believe that not since Tim Tebow have we had something that is aligned with Arch Manning. The expectations are going to be as wild as we’ve ever seen or at least since [Johnny] Manziel or Tim Tebow,” Finebaum said, adding, “Maybe worse because of the current state of the media with social media.”
Finebaum continued, “I don’t claim to know Arch Manning. I know everybody else in his family. I talked to his grandfather recently when we were in New Orleans, and I think there’s never been a player more prepared and ready for what he’s about to face.” While Quinn Ewers served as Texas’s starting quarterback for most of last season, Manning started two games, winning both, and appeared in ten games over two seasons.
Given that Texas has just come off a season where they briefly held the No. 1 ranking and reached the College Football Playoffs semifinals, the anticipation surrounding Peyton’s and Eli’s nephew is set to soar. Whether he can measure up to the legacies of Tebow and Manziel remains to be seen. To be fair to Finebaum, he’s not the only person making the Arch-Tebow connection.
