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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning continues to draw harsh criticism over his potential to follow in his famous family's footsteps and achieve success in the NFL. That includes Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, who each won two Super Bowl rings during their NFL careers.
Manning, 22, entered his past two seasons with significant Heisman Trophy expectations and was projected as a top-three draft pick. However, he's fallen from those spots after his performances have exposed potential weaknesses in his skill set and game.
Many sports personalities and analysts have suggested that Manning needs to stay at Texas for another season after this before he departs for the NFL. Last week, Mel Kiper unveiled his current top 25 players on the big board, with Manning at No. 24 and several of his Longhorns teammates ranked above him.
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Multiple quarterbacks also appear on Kiper's list ahead of Manning, including Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker at the No. 2 spot, the Miami Hurricanes' Darian Mensah at No. 4, and Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss at No. 6.
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More recently, Manning drew an unfavorable comparison to a current NFL player considered a draft bust. An NFL scouting director reportedly told On3's Pete Nakos that he compares Manning to the New York Giants' Jameis Winston.
Winston became the No. 1 pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015. Unlike Manning, he won the Heisman Trophy in 2013 and a BCS National Championship while at Florida State.
However, he never quite lived up to the hype surrounding him when he was drafted. His best record as Tampa Bay's starter came in 2016, when the Buccaneers finished 9-7.
He infamously threw for a career-high 5,109 passing yards and 33 touchdowns in 2019, but also had 30 interceptions that season. His turnover struggles have made him a frequent target for criticism and jokes among NFL analysts and fans.
More recently, he was called upon as the Giants' backup when starter Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2. However, Winston has continued to struggle, with the Giants acquiring JJ McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings as another option while Dart is out.
Meanwhile, Manning has led Texas to a 4-2 record, including a fourth-quarter comeback win over then-No. 1 Ohio State earlier this season. He's tallied 1,295 passing yards and 11 touchdowns while throwing five interceptions. While he's shown glimpses of impressive plays and skills, his track record hasn't seemed solid enough to prove he's worth the top pick in the NFL Draft.
In Kiper's ESPN article earlier this month, he pointed out that Manning has "size, mobility, and arm strength" that NFL teams will look for in a top 25 prospect, but is "too inconsistent" and doesn't seem to see the field as well as other college quarterbacks. He ranked Manning as his QB6 among the top 25 prospects, suggesting several other quarterbacks are currently viewed as stronger prospects for NFL teams.
Manning and Texas are in action on Saturday, Oct. 24, when they face the Ole Miss Rebels at home, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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