There’s no lack of talent at quarterback in college football this season, but to casual observers of the sport, it’s likely no one has name recognition like Arch Manning of the Texas Longhorns.
He was a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite in 2025, before he ever played a game as the No. 1 quarterback, and while he had a statistically strong season, it certainly wasn’t better than Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza.
But with another year under his belt and an unmatched football pedigree, Manning is expected by many to be the best passer in the college ranks this season.
Despite those expectations, Manning recently had another QB ranked ahead of him.
Who’s Ranked Ahead of Arch Manning?
Sporting News recently released their preseason All-America teams, and Manning was named the signal caller for the second team.
On the first team? Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
While some may be surprised, Chambliss has certainly earned that distinction.
He led the SEC with 3,937 passing yards last year — well more than Manning’s 3,163.
Manning did have more passing touchdowns — 26 against 22 — but Chambliss only had three interceptions to Manning’s seven.
Chambliss was also more dangerous with his feet, running for 527 yards and eight touchdowns against Manning’s 399, though he did run for 10 scores.
Perhaps the biggest aspect, though, was postseason team success.
Ole Miss fell in a nailbiter in the national semifinals. Texas, meanwhile, missed the College Football Playoff entirely.
“Chambliss heated up during the CFP semifinal run – where he averaged 307 passing yards per game,” Bill Bender wrote for Sporting News. “He’s the top QB in our rankings for 2026 – and that gives him the edge on this list to start.”