“He didnt wanna go”: CFB analyst spills beans on “truth” behind Arch Manning’s EA CFB 26 cover snub

Arch Manning's collegiate experience has been different than stars like Drew Allar, Nico Iamaleava, Garrett Nussmeier and more.

Manning is not only one of the most hyped players for the 2025 college football season, but he's also the highest-paid athlete in all of college sports, with a NIL value of $6.5 million (according to Forbes).

While most players with Manning's level of fame and talent would want to secure the starting position as soon as possible, the Longhorns quarterback has been patiently working on his game and developing.

This mindset also reflects in his decisions off the field. Manning opted out to be in the EA Sports College Football 25 game last year, but later changed his mind.

Similarly, when the EA Sports College Football 2026 team called all the players and coaches for the cover shoot this year, Manning and Steve Sarkisian declined to travel to The Rose Bowl and were absent for the photoshoot.

College football analyst RJ Young talked about the possible reasons behind Manning's decision.

"I don't think he doesn't wants to play the game," Young said on Tuesday (03:50), via 'Adapt & Respond with RJ Young.' "But the way he has built his image has been to push away all these things that are about monetary gain, right? That is not to say that he's taken, partaking in any name, image and likeness endorsements.

"He is a Red Bull athlete for one. But he's been very, very selective about who and what, when his name, image and likeness to which is very smart, not just because it's smart business, but he is a man, right? He's a third generation legacy of one of the first of all families we have."

Paul Finebaum speaks on Arch Manning's "overdue" starting QB job

Arch Manning has been waiting for his turn to take the steering wheel in his hands for two years, as he played behind Quinn Ewers. In 2024, fans were excited to see some glimpses of Manning's abilities when he started in two games while Ewers was out due to a torn oblique.

Many fans and analysts also wanted Manning to take over Ewers last year, thinkng he was a better option.

Paul Finebaum discussed Manning's starting job.

“There is nothing finer than Arch Manning starting at Texas. It’s long overdue,” Finebaum said on Tuesday, via 'SportsCenter.' “Arch Manning should have come in in the Cotton Bowl loss to Ohio State, and I think there’s a chance that that game could have gone differently. But he is going to bring Texas within a whisker of perhaps another run at a national championship.”

Texas will kick off the 2025 college football season against Ohio State on Aug. 30.