Paul Finebaum fires back at Jordan Rodgers over Arch Manning ranking

The hype for Arch Manning has been through the roof since he was still in high school. Now, he’s set to be the starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns, and Manning is often ranked among the best quarterbacks in the country during the preseason.

ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum has been among those most effusive in their praise for the youngest quarterback in the Manning clan. Not everyone agrees with him, though, and analyst, reality show celebrity, and former Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers recently pushed back. He’d call Manning the fifth-best SEC quarterback, calling out Finebaum in the process.

“Y’all have been drinking Paul Finebaum’s Kool-Aid for way too long,” Rodgers said on Monday. “I have him as the fifth-best quarterback in the SEC. The hype train is out of control.”

Of course, Paul Finebaum couldn’t help but respond. He took to Get Up on Tuesday morning, firing back at Jordan Rodgers and clarifying that what he loves about Arch Manning is his potential.

“Listen, I cheered,” Finebaum said. “My wife and I were Jordan’s biggest fans when he won The Bachelorette, but that’s where it ends.”

Now going into his third season, Arch Manning has had limited playing time after being one of the highest-regarded recruits in the country. Coming out of high school, he was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2023 and was the top-ranked recruit overall in that recruiting cycle. Now, Finebaum expects him to live up to that potential.

“I really am amused that he’s using what Arch did last year,” Finebaum said. “The whole conversation a week ago was about his potential. I said I think he could be the best quarterback since Tim Tebow. He’s not there yet, but I think he will be. Then we’ll come back and see how Jordan’s doing. Maybe he’ll do the senior event for the — The Golden Bachelorette — or whatever it’s called.”

Last season, Arch Manning played a little in relief of Quinn Ewers, particularly when he was injured in the middle of the year. For the season, Manning completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 939 yards and nine touchdowns to two interceptions. He also rushed for 108 yards and four touchdowns.

Paul Finebaum explains why Arch Manning’s last name matters entering first year as starting QB

For Arch Manning, it’s impossible to escape the legacy of his last name when playing quarterback at any level of the sport. That’s a legacy he was raised with and has helped to shape him. It’s also something that Paul Finebaum believes matters.

“The name does matter, but the name has a lot more to do with his patience in staying at Texas, perhaps, than his talent. He has proven, in very limited situations, what he’s capable of,” Finebaum said.

“But I think everyone on that first Saturday of the season, when he goes up to Ohio State and wins that game, they’ll start saying, ‘You know what? Maybe that bald guy on Get Up knew what he was talking about.”

Texas opens the 2025 season with a difficult road trip. They’ll head north and take on defending national champion Ohio State to start the Arch Manning era. That’s the same Buckeyes team that eliminated the Longhorns last season.