They're really going to do this again. ...
After a 2025 offseason of absurd hype for Texas quarterback Arch Manning after barely even any playing time beforehand, the fanfare has already started again for 2026 despite Manning failing to come even close to those unreachable expectations this past season.
FanDuel already released betting odds for who will win the Heisman Trophy next college football season, and once again, Manning was tied with Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr for the best odds at +750. Just before last season kicked off, Manning was also the Heisman favorite with odds at +600.
Arch Manning again has best betting odds to win Heisman Trophy
In his first full season as a starting quarterback as a redshirt sophomore, Manning, the nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli, completed 61.4% of his passes for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns with seven interceptions as the Longhorns went 10-3. He also rushed for 399 yards and another 10 scores.
There was time during the 2025 season when even Texas fans questioned if Manning should be benched. That seemed to extinguish any future Heisman talk, but then Manning showed improvement down the stretch to reignite the insanity.
Against a Michigan team enduring coaching chaos in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, Manning threw for 221 yards and two TDs, plus had 155 rushing yards with two more scores. That bowl performance alone was apparently enough for Vegas to prompt another long offseason of Manning hype as if everything from the rest of the season was forgotten.
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer was also given Heisman odds by FanDuel at +2500, which was tied with Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby, USC QB Jayden Maiava and Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed for the 10th-best odds.
Somehow, though, these odds will shift throughout the offseason in which nothing happens, then will drastically change after Week 1, nearly eight months from now.