Arch Manning’s exclusion from the 2025 Manning Award Preseason Watch List has sparked debate. Especially after his standout performance in Texas’ spring game, where he threw for 355 yards and three touchdowns.
🏆The Manning Award, presented by the @Allstate #SugarBowl
— Manning Award (@ManningAward) August 14, 2025
👀 2025 Watch List pic.twitter.com/eK45Z9Y0RF
The Manning Award, created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl to honor Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning, added 27 quarterbacks to its list on Aug. 14, but transfers like Fernando Mendoza were ineligible for the preseason cut, per Crescent City Sports. This snub comes amid high Heisman Trophy expectations for Manning, with oddsmakers listing him as a top contender despite his limited starting experience.
Development and Bigger Goals
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian emphasized a focus on Manning’s development over awards, a strategy that paid off last season when Quinn Ewers led the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff. The omission could motivate Manning, whose family legacy includes four Super Bowl wins by uncles Peyton and Eli. Adding pressure to prove himself in the upcoming season, fans on X noted other notable absences, like Florida’s DJ Lagway and Indiana’s Mendoza, suggesting the list might favor returning starters, aligning with the award’s postseason performance criteria.
Texas QB Arch Manning was not named to the, ahem, Manning Award watch list 👀
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 14, 2025
The Manning Award recognizes the top QBs in college football. pic.twitter.com/Hhb4MrAbd6
The Manning Watch List is a guess, and nothing that actually matters. Once the games start for real we will see who can play. Highlighting the list’s role as a starting point rather than a prediction, Texas’ offensive line, bolstered by returning All-SEC tackle Cameron Williams, could elevate Manning’s stats, making his case stronger by midseason when the list expands.
The Manning family’s involvement in the award voting process, including input from Archie, Peyton and Eli, adds an intriguing layer to Arch’s exclusion. Sarkisian’s focus stems from his belief that Arch Manning, needs to concentrate on his growth as a player and leader. This perspective is particularly relevant given Manning’s high profile as the nephew of two Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks and his status as a former top recruit.
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The Manning Award
The Manning family, along with a panel of national media covering college football, participate in selecting the finalists and ultimately, the award winner. With the Longhorns roster, Manning’s talent and the SEC being wide open, take these preseason lists with a grain of salt. After all, the so called experts swing and miss more than a baseball player swinging at a 100 mph pitch.
We are one week away from the start of the 2025 college football season when the guesses and predictions take a back seat to on field performances.
