Arch Manning is a top-10 QB, but some coaches aren't buying the hype yet

Arch Manning remains a high-rated quarterback despite skepticism from some evaluators in The Athletic’s second annual College QB Tiers. For the preseason, he ranks as Tier 1 for a second consecutive year and moved up three spots since last July to No. 7. The article notes this is a current-quarterback ranking rather than a 2027 NFL Draft projection, even though Dane Brugler had Manning No. 1 in an early mock draft. Coaches, general managers, scouts and front-office staff cited his size and tools—listed as 6-foot-4 and 226 pounds—while some doubted whether his performance translates into elite results. Two Power 4 head coaches characterized him as merely “OK” or “good” rather than elite, pointing to a lack of winning impact and earlier mechanics concerns. Another SEC front-office staffer said the outlook may be repetitive from last year and wants improvement in areas like his set-up and base accuracy.