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Arch Manning, once regarded as the inevitable No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, now finds himself under pressure from a rival as the 2025/26 college football season looms large on the horizon.
Amid growing scrutiny over so-called "nepo-baby" quarterbacks, Manning's path to NFL stardom is no longer a clear sprint to the top as detractors question the hype behind Eli and Peyton's nephew.
And now the 21-year-old is now contending with an unexpected rival, Fernando Mendoza; who made a key transfer to the Indiana Hoosiers and could take over in the projections.
The noise began after a notable shift in quarterback rankings caught national attention when Yahoo Sports put the 21-year-old Mendoza ahead of his peer for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Nate Ice places him as the top prospect for next year's round of rookie selections and with a current NIL valuation of $200,000 and a strong 2024/25 campaign, the man from Miami is most certainly in the mix.
He produced 3004 ing yards for 16 touchdowns and allowed just four interceptions, maintaining a completion of 68.7% for the California Golden Bears in the Atlantic Coast Conference through 11 starts.
And now in his new venture, he is backed by the head coach, Curt Cignetti - a man who led the team to its best start in decades before they went on to finish with an 8-1 record in the Big Ten Conference.
Mendoza's game is built on a foundation of arm strength, accuracy, and experience, offering him similar qualities to what Manning possesses as the pair could be ready to go band-for-band in the next NCAA season.
SEC coach still backs Manning
However, not everyone is writing off the young Texas Longhorns quarterback just yet as an anonymous SEC coach offered a far more optimistic evaluation of the young play caller at the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
"The belief is that Arch Manning will elevate the offense immediately," the anonymous coach told SEC Mike. "And you can expect a much more dynamic scheme from Sark[isian, Longhorns head coach].
"This kid is a legit, Heisman-level package. Provided he produces at that level, the offense will be even better."
The coach's remarks echo sentiments from college football commentator Paul Finebaum, who recently predicted that Manning could win the Heisman Trophy, of which the current holder is the Jacksonville Jaguars' Travis Hunter.
These endorsements come at a time when Manning's confidence may need a boost, especially as the media narrative starts to shift against the talent, as it so often typically does.
His track record at Texas has been limited, but promising. Last season, he completed over 66% of his es for 969 yards and nine touchdowns, adding two scores on the ground, in the back-up role behind Quinn Ewers.
While critics have questioned the quality of his competition, highlighting games against teams like UT San Antonio and Louisiana-Monroe, ers point to moments like his critical fourth-down conversion against Texas A&M as signs of his elite poise.