On3 and Ari Wasserman are at it again with the Arch Manning hyperbole, and honestly, it’s starting to feel like a bad habit they can’t quit. Wasserman recently doubled down on his prediction that there is a “zero percent chance” Arch Manning does not end up a Heisman finalist in 2026, even before a single game has been played. That’s a bold stance to take in January, and it’s easy to pick it apart because it’s exactly the kind of overconfident projection that’s turned into a running joke.
Let’s get something straight. Arch Manning is a very good college quarterback with a nice pedigree and plenty of tools. Last season, he threw for 3,163 yards with a 26‑to‑7 touchdown‑to‑interception ratio. That’s solid, respectable, and that’s exactly what you want from your starter. It’s not a disaster, but it’s also not the kind of insane, historic breakout season that makes a statement like “there is a 0% chance he’s not a Heisman finalist” remotely defensible.
The context makes this even funnier. Wasserman said essentially the same thing before the 2025 season, claiming Manning was a lock to make it to New York City for the Heisman ceremony. Instead, Manning had an uneven start, didn’t become the unstoppable force that the narrative promised, and didn’t sniff the Heisman’s final stages. Now on the same network, with the same confidence, we’re getting the same take before a single snap has been played in 2026. It’s like watching someone replay a quiz they already flunked and pretending the answers will magically change.
If you want to argue Manning has the tools and the situation to make a run at Heisman honors, fine. You can make that case. But claiming he’s a lock before anyone has played a down this season is premature at best and laughable at worst.
