Cam Newton compares Arch Manning's path as starting QB to his own: 'I've always felt like I was more talented than Tim Tebow'

Arch Manning enters his third season in college football in 2025 — his first as a full-time starting quarterback. Despite his inexperience, the consensus opinion appears that the Texas star will be among the elite QBs in the sport this fall.

Like Manning, Cam Newton was another popular quarterback in college that didn’t have a typical path to his starting. Newton initially began his career as a backup quarterback at Florida. He sat behind Tim Tebow, who is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in college football history. Newton eventually got his shot at Auburn in 2010, but believes spending time behind the was pivotal in his development.

“I’ve always felt like I was more talented than Tim Tebow, but I needed Tim Tebow to show me what I lacked,” Newtwon said on his podcast, 4th&1. “Tim Tebow is an unbelievable leader, verbally and by action.

“Arch Manning would be a fool if he has not learned anything from Quinn Ewers, how he prepared, how he lead his team, and just how he handled and managed the expectations for being a quarterback at a university like Texas.”

“Go somewhere that’ll get you to the league in 3 years.”@CameronNewton breaks down why Arch Manning made the right choice at Texas, and why playing early isn’t always the goal pic.twitter.com/eR8gBmDPQt

— 4th&1 with Cam Newton (@4thand1show) July 2, 2025

Newton said that Manning chose the right path by staying at Texas for two seasons as Ewers’ backup. Newton believes Manning committed to Texas not so that he could play early, but to put himself in the best position before turning pro. Sitting two seasons behind Ewers, who led Texas to consecutive College Football Playoff berths to round out his college career, will do wonders for Manning’s development in the long run.

“Just because you’re starting doesn’t mean you’re getting developed,” Newton said. “… He went into the University of Texas with the understanding that they’re trying to put Arch Manning in the best situation to be developed over time,”

Manning has made two starts in 12 appearances for the Longhorns. Over that span, he’s thrown for 969 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions.

Based on the hordes of preseason lists and Heisman hype that Manning has received — the expectation is that he’ll already have been developed into an elite college quarterback. Newton, who is a Heisman Trophy winner himself, said that the player with the most hype historically wins the Heisman and he hasn’t seen a Texas QB with this much hype since Vince Young was on the Forty Acres.

As expectations are through the roof for Manning entering the 2025 season, those for Texas are just as high. Manning is expected to pick up where Ewers left off — contending for a national championship. That effort begins during Week 1 on the road against Ohio State.