Paul Finebaum put way too much pressure on Texas QB Arch Manning with new comparison

Paul Finebaum has grown more and more comfortable with voicing bold opinions and hot takes. However, when he compared Texas’ newest starting quarterback Arch Manning to none other than Florida’s Tim Tebow, he put way too much pressure on the young QB.

He already has so much pressure on him, simply because of the last name on his jersey and the program that he plays for. Texas is a perennial powerhouse and his family is one of the few that has dominated the world of football for generations. With legendary quarterbacks in his grandfather, father, and uncles (yes, Eli and Peyton), the pressure on the young Manning is astronomical.

Now, Finebaum has only added to that pressure by comparing Manning to one of the greatest collegiate quarterbacks of all time.

“I believe that not since Tim Tebow have we had something that is aligned with Arch Manning,” Finebaum told On3’s Pete Nakos.

Not to mention, Manning is the highest-evaluated collegiate athlete in regards to his NIL value which currently resides around $6.5 million. The quarterback has had a few chances to prove his worth over the last few seasons as he stepped into the starting role following the injury to Texas’ former starting QB Quinn Ewers.

However, with just a few collegiate starts under his belt, Manning is still relatively inexperienced. The comparison to Tebow (who won two BCS National Championships, two Maxwell Trophies, the Heisman Trophy, the Davey O’Brien Award, the William V. Campbell Trophy, the James E. Sullivan Award, and the Manning Award itself, just to name a few accomplishments) is a stretch.

Tebow was a three-time All-SEC player, a consensus All-American (2007), a first-team All-American (2008), and a two-time SEC Male Athlete of the Year. Manning has only started two games since joining the Texas Longhorns in 2023.

Finebaum knows football, it’s his entire job after all, but this preseason comparison is not only a bold take but it places far too much pressure on Manning’s upcoming season.