Garrett Nussmeier 'very excited' to watch Arch Manning play

LSU‘s Garrett Nussmeier and Texas‘ Arch Manning enter the 2025 college football season as two of the most anticipated quarterbacks in the country.

Last season, Nussmeier passed for 4,052 (fifth most in NCAA) yards, 29 touchdowns (T-10th most in NCAA) and 12 interceptions. Manning didn’t quite put up that production, but he sat behind Quinn Ewers for most of the season. He saw action in 10 games, passing for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions.

Nussmeier discussed his fellow SEC quarterback this week at SEC Media Days.

“I love Arch,” Nussmeier said. “He’s a great dude and a great player. I’m really excited for him. He kinda went through a similar experience that I had to go through in waiting for your time and waiting for your opportunity. He’s very prepared and obviously he comes from a prestigious family who understands the game very well more than most. Obviously. But I’m very excited for him. I think he’s going to do very well. His mindset is great and he doesn’t feel like he’s earned anything although I believe he already has because of the player he is. I’m excited for him to go prove it and I’m really rooting for him.”

The Lake Charles, LA native sat behind Max Johnson and Jayden Daniels for two years before getting the ball in 2024. Manning will now get the same opportunity in his second season of college football. Texas and LSU unfortunately will not face off in the regular season, but the matchup could happen in the SEC Championship or the College Football Playoff.

Finebaum predicts Arch to lead Texas to victory over Ohio State

Much like Nussmeier, ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum believes highly in Arch Manning. On last week’s edition of “Get Up”, Finebaum predicted that Manning will lead the Longhorns to a win over the reigning National Champions in the season opener on August 30.

“I am as married to Arch Manning as an old geezer like me can be to a young, great college quarterback, but I like everything about him,” Finebaum said. “The Manning name matters, but it isn’t going to matter that field in a couple of weeks at Ohio State. The experience of being an understudy to [Quinn] Ewers and understanding [Steve Sarkisian]’s system is what’s going to get them over the top and probably — well, not probably — definitely beat Ohio State in the opener.”