The offseason hype train surrounding Arch Manning is back in motion.
Heading into the 2026 college football season, the Texas Longhorns quarterback is widely being discussed as a potential Heisman Trophy favorite and the face of a Texas team expected to contend for a national title. Unlike earlier waves of hype that followed him out of high school, this time there’s actual on-field proof to support the excitement.
Jayden Maiava Leads PFSN QB Rankings Ahead of Arch Manning
Manning showed significant development late in the 2025 season, flashing the arm talent, poise, and decision-making that made him one of the most anticipated quarterback prospects in recent memory. His late-season surge helped fuel expectations that 2026 could be the year he truly breaks out.
But a recent ranking from PFSN poured a bit of cold water on the offseason buzz.
RELATED: PFSN’s Free College Football Playoff Predictor
Using their CFB QB Impact Score, PFSN released a graphic ranking the top-10 returning Power Four quarterbacks entering the 2026 season. Notably absent from the list was Manning.
Instead, the top spot belongs to Jayden Maiava, the quarterback for the USC Trojans under offensive guru Lincoln Riley.
Top 10 Returning Power Four QBs for the 2026 college football season, per PFSN College QB Impact score 📊 pic.twitter.com/dXh4RbkkQJ
— PFSN College (@PFSNcollege) March 8, 2026
Maiava posted a 93.1 PFSN CFB QB Impact Score during the 2025 season, the highest among returning quarterbacks in the Power Four. His performance was instrumental in powering USC’s offense, which earned a PFSN offensive grade of A-, ranking among the top five offenses in the country.
However, repeating that level of success could prove challenging.
Maiava will enter 2026 without his two top receiving targets from last season: Makai Lemon, the 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner, and standout receiver Ja’Kobi Lane. Both declared for the 2026 NFL Draft after the 2025 campaign, leaving major production to replace in USC’s passing attack.
Meanwhile, Manning may actually be stepping into a more favorable situation in Austin.
Texas strengthened its roster through the transfer portal, assembling a two-headed backfield with the additions of NC State’s Hollywood Smothers and Arizona State’s Raleek Brown, while also landing one of the portal’s most coveted wide receivers in former Auburn star Cam Coleman.
With an improved supporting cast around him, Manning could be positioned to take a major leap forward statistically.
He may not enter the 2026 season with a top-10 PFSN quarterback impact score, but that could change quickly if Texas’ upgraded offense delivers as expected. Building on the progress he showed late in 2025, Manning has the tools and surrounding talent to produce the type of season many analysts already anticipate.
RELATED: PFSN’s CFP Transfer Portal Tracker
And if both quarterbacks live up to their potential, the race for college football’s most prestigious individual award could feature two compelling candidates from different paths.
When December arrives, both Maiava and Manning could factor prominently into Heisman Trophy conversations, though Manning currently holds significantly better odds alongside Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss as the early frontrunners heading into the 2026 campaign.
