Arch Manning just took significantly fewer first-team reps with Texas’ offense this week. Backup KJ Lacey Jr. saw a precipitous uptick, a wild turn for a quarterback once deemed a future number one overall pick.
The “Can’t-Miss” Class That Everyone Missed
For years, the chatter was non-stop. From 2023 to 2025, the media and what felt like every fan were absolutely desperate to crown Arch Manning the next great NFL quarterback. The guy was supposed to be a future number one overall pick before he even enrolled at Texas as the top prospect in the country! His star shined so bright it lit up a whole constellation of other quarterbacks expected in the 2027 class, some first-time eligible, others sticking around college for that sweet NIL money. We’re talking Dante Moore, C.J. Carr, Drew Mestemaker, LaNorris Sellers, Trinidad Chambliss, Darian Mensah, Julian Sayin, and Jayden Maiava, just to name a few.
The hype was so over the top. Mock drafts were absolutely obsessed with jamming five or six quarterbacks into the top-10, and analysts couldn’t stop saying the “Manning Class” would change the entire league landscape. People were calling it “historic,” arguing that even the sixth or seventh-best QB in 2027 would be a better prospect than Ty Simpson, who the Rams drafted 13th overall this year. They were comparing it to stacked classes from 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024, where three or more quarterbacks went in the top-5 or top-12. This 2027 class was supposed to be better than ALL of them. Seriously, you couldn’t get a word in edgewise, like “But… why?” without being drowned out by the hype machine.
From “Historic” to “Clowning”: What Happened?
Well, here we are, two months into the college season, and that “Manning Class” is looking more like a “Clowning Class.” It’s not just Arch, either. ESPN’s Jordan Reid recently dropped a big board that had *zero* quarterbacks in the top-7! Drew Mestemaker finally shows up at number eight, and then we don’t see another QB until Trinidad Chambliss at 15. That’s a grand total of just three quarterbacks in the entire top-20.
And Arch? The kid everyone crowned a generational talent? He’s now projected to go back to school for a fifth season, and get this, “perhaps not at Texas.” The latest news just confirms the slide: Arch Manning took significantly fewer first-team reps with Texas’ first-team offense this week, while backup KJ Lacey Jr. saw a precipitous uptick. I’ve always said Arch Manning is the most overrated prospect of the century, and it’s a relief to finally not be alone on that hill. What went wrong with Arch and company?
The Rams, led by Les Snead, took Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick, which was probably higher than any other team would have gone for the inexperienced Alabama signal-caller. But their reasoning was clear: Opportunity. They didn’t expect to have a high first-round pick in 2027 anyway (they’d later trade it for Myles Garrett), and Simpson was the best available of a weak 2026 bunch. Maybe, just maybe, by getting Simpson in 2026 and giving him an extra year of development and NFL coaching, the Rams actually landed a better quarterback prospect than anyone they could have snagged from this now-bust 2027 class. It sure looks like it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Turf Show Times.
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