"There's no guarantee" - Former Heisman winner warns Saints over allegedly preparing to tank for Arch Manning after Derek Carr's retirement
Arch Manning is one of the most hyped players the country has seen recently, with some analysts even comparing his hype to Tim Tebow's during his time at Florida.
Manning's ties with the football legends, like Eli and Peyton Manning, have built up an anticipation among fans to see if he's the next star from the family, along with that he was a five-star recruit and is a 6-foot-4, 215-pound quarterback.
New Orleans Saints' quarterback, Derek Carr, announced retirement from the game at 34, which started a conversation about Saints' legend Archie Manning's grandson, Arch Manning potentially walking in his steps and ending up with the franchise, which would mean the team would have to tank for possibly two years in a row.
Talking about the idea, former NFL QB and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III said:
"There's no guarantee that Arch Manning is coming out in the 2026 draft. There's no guarantee that Arch Manning won't even come out until the 2027 draft. It could be two years before he hits that thing.
We don't even know if Arch Manning is going to be the savior or if the Saints are going to have an opportunity to draft him, but at least come out and say it. We're rolling what we got. And everyone, everyone will interpret that as we are trying to suck so we can go get Arch," Griffin said on "Outta pocket with RGIII" on Saturday. (22:00)
CFB analyst weighs in on Arch Manning's NFL hype
Arch Manning committed to the Longhorns in June 2023 and has been waiting for his turn to be the QB1 since then.
Manning spent two years behind Quinn Ewers and has just started in two games during the 2024 college football season, when Ewers was out because of his ankle injury.
Despite his limited time on the field, many fans and analysts predict Manning to be the No.1 overall pick in either the 2026 or 2027 NFL draft.
Talking about the hype, SI's Albert Breer said on Monday:
"I get it," Breer wrote on Monday. "Everyone’s excited. You should be. It’s a great story. But, for now, for NFL teams, that’s really all it is. There’s not anywhere near enough to go on to know whether he’ll be a top-five pick or a fifth-rounder down the line."
Arch Manning and Texas will now face Ohio State to kick off the 2025 college football season in Columbus on August 30.