There aren’t many football analysts who have been critical of Arch Manning. But for Jordan Rodgers, the opportunity to be on an island is an opportunity nonetheless.
With three days to go until the highly anticipated Week 1 matchup between Ohio State and Texas, the ESPN college football analyst provided a boost to the network’s in-house news cycle. Appearing on Wednesday’s episode of Get Up, Rodgers strayed from most Manning-related analysis, claiming that the Longhorns’ starting quarterback has yet to prove he’s as good as advertised.
“The hype doesn’t match the tape,” Rodgers said of Peyton and Eli’s nephew. “There are good things and there are some good things, but the tape, to me, doesn’t tell me you’ve got a first-round draft pick or a top-10 pick or a No. 1 overall draft pick, or a Heisman hopeful.
“I think he’s going to go into Ohio State and he’s going to struggle because he hasn’t played anybody. The last time we saw him against a really good defense was Georgia, and he looked out of place. He looked really good against UTSA, Louisiana-Monroe, and Mississippi State — the worst defense in the SEC. I think there’s still a lot for him to grow and a lot we need to see.”
“The hype doesn’t match the tape.”
—@JRodgers11 on Arch Manning pic.twitter.com/NZJoNAaHAD
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 27, 2025
While Rodgers’ full analysis of Manning’s play did include praise for his athleticism and deep ball, ESPN already had its talking point. Look no further than the YouTube version of the segment, which was uploaded under the headline, “Arch Manning OVERRATED going into Week 1? [eyeball emoji] ‘Hype doesn’t match the tape!’ – Jordan Rodgers.”
Taken by itself, Rodgers’ analysis might seem like it exists somewhere between a contrarian and outlier take. While he isn’t the first person to mention Manning’s on-field resume (or lack thereof) at the college level, you won’t find many analysts proclaiming that he isn’t a future first-round pick.
It’s also worth considering the larger context of Rodgers’ stance. After all, it was Aaron Rodgers’ younger brother who took the opposing viewpoint in July as Paul Finebaum proclaimed Arch Manning the greatest college quarterback since Tim Tebow.
That’s not to say Rodgers doesn’t believe what he’s saying and all things considered, his analysis is relatively reasonable. Nevertheless, both he and ESPN clearly recognize there is value in having someone who is critical of one of college football’s most beloved quarterbacks and it’s clearly a stance the former Vanderbilt quarterback is willing to lean into.
What tape are people justifying the hype with?!?! He has some really good throws & moments but the body of work isn’t there. It was a 14-6 game vs MSST (the worst defense in the SEC) until the LAST play of the 3rd quarter. And the one good defense he faced (Georgia) he struggled,… https://t.co/0rUbj3yrCR
— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) August 27, 2025
For a rising star like Rodgers, filling such a void could prove to be a double-edged sword. If he’s proven right, he’ll be one of the few who can say that he was. But if he’s not, it will be a take that remains attached to his name and ensuing analysis long after Manning is done playing for the Longhorns.
