After waiting in the wings for two seasons, Arch Manning is set to take over as starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns this year.

The Longhorns did get a glimpse of Manning's potential when he saw significant time in three games while Quinn Ewers was out with injury, but he still has much to prove as he becomes the starter.

Despite his limited playing time through this point of his collegiate career, Manning is receiving strong buzz ahead of his first season as a full-time starter. With less than two months until the season begins, he is actually one of the odds leaders for the Heisman trophy race.

Manning himself isn't contributing to the hype, and believes he has to prove himself before he's put in those conversations.

“I’m not sure how they get these opinions, I’ve only played what, two games," Manning told reporters at SEC media days. "It’s nice of them to say, but it doesn’t mean anything. Talk is cheap, I gotta go prove it."

Manning's high ranking in the preseason Heisman odds does come after a unique Heisman race in which nine of the top-ten Heisman finalists in 2024—Travis Hunter, Ashton Jeanty, Cam Ward, Dillon Gabriel, Cam Skattebo, Tyler Warren, Shedeur Sanders, Kurtis Rourke and Kyle McCord—have all left for the NFL. This year's race will feature a new slate of college football stars, which has helped Manning emerge as an early contender for the award.

It also helps that Manning possesses the prototypical quarterback build, has Super Bowl genes as the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning and plays for a top football program in the country. While it makes sense that Manning feels he must earn his due, he was a top-five recruit coming out of high school, and if he lives up to his potential, he certainly could be in that Heisman conversation come end of year.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arch Manning Has Blunt Thoughts on Already Being Considered a Top Heisman Contender.

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