NFL Scouts Split on Arch Manning Ahead of Ohio State Test — SkimNews
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- Arch Manning is viewed by NFL scouts as an 'eventual first-round guy' but a 'developmental starter' whose 2025 tape shows accuracy, ball placement, and anticipation issues that must improve this season
- Scouts saw clear growth late last year — Manning averaged 286 passing yards over his final six games (19 total TDs, 2 INTs) and posted the highest QBR in college football after Halloween
- Manning opened 2026 with 305 yards and four touchdowns in just two-and-a-half quarters of Texas' 59-7 season-opening win over Texas State, connecting twice with top-10 draft prospect Cam Coleman
- Texas faces Ohio State on Saturday in a matchup scouts say will be their best barometer of whether Manning has taken the next step as a Year 2 starter
- Texas State head coach GJ Kinne compared Manning's supporting cast — Coleman and Ryan Wingo — to the elite receiver duo Joe Burrow had with Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase at LSU
- Manning ranks as the No. 1 player on CBS Sports draft analyst Mike Renner's Big Board despite scouts wanting to see more before locking him in as a top pick
Why it matters: Saturday's Texas–Ohio State game is a de facto draft-prospect showcase: scouts want to see if Manning has solved the accuracy and processing issues that made him look 'scared and timid' against the same Buckeyes last year, with his performance potentially reshaping his first-round projection and the 2026 QB class pecking order.
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