Greg McElroy is elated regarding Arch Manning’s potential. The former Alabama quarterback believes the Texas signal-caller could be special in 2025.

During an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up, McElroy waxed poetic about Manning’s maturity. The analyst believes that, combined with his physical skillset, will lead to an awesome campaign from the Longhorns star.

“He’s going to be amazing,” McElroy stated. “What I’ve most enjoyed covering Arch Manning the last couple of years—we know he has the talent. You don’t become a blue-chip prospect without having the ability to throw the football down the field and, unlike his uncles, the guy can really run and create with his legs. But what’s most encouraging is the maturity he’s displayed over the last few years while serving as the backup quarterback to Quinn Ewers.

“He’s kind of just gone about his business. He’s focused on getting better—more physically mature, a better grasp of what Steve Sarkisian wants to do offensively. He’s prepared for the ebbs and flows that this season might present. So I think it’s the maturity that has me most bullish—because we already know the physical skill set is there.”

That’s some lofty praise for Manning from McElroy. It might come as a bit of a surprise to some though, as he left the Texas signal-caller off of his preseason list where he ranked the top 10 quarterbacks in all of college football.

His list consisted of Haynes King, LaNorris Sellers, Carson Beck, as well as Clemson‘s Cade Klubnik, who claimed the top spot in McElroy’s list. Manning was in the honorable mentions category, as he heads into his first season as the main starter in Austin.

“I think he is poised to have an amazingly successful career, whether that’s a one-year career, two years, three years. However long he’s in Austin, assuming he’s there his whole career, I think he’s absolutely positioned to be tremendously successful,” McElroy explained, via his Always College Football Show. “That being said, he does not crack the top 10 just yet. Now, he makes our honorable mention list, which tells you how much we think about this young man.”

All told, Manning threw for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions during his redshirt freshman season in 2024. Most of that production came across three games in September, while the aforementioned Ewers nursed an injury.

Perhaps Greg McElroy will change his tune as Arch Manning shows off his stuff during his 2025 campaign. Texas will kick its 2025 regular season off against the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes during Week 1, so the chance to make an instant impact is there.