Paul Finebaum rejects comparisons between Arch Manning and stars like Joe Burrow, Johnny Manziel

Paul Finebaum isn’t buying the comparisons. Whether it's to Joe Burrow’s meteoric rise or Johnny Manziel’s media circus, the longtime ESPN analyst believes Arch Manning exists in his own category.

Appearing at the SEC Media Days on Wednesday, Finebaum joined colleague Cole Cubelic to unpack the whirlwind surrounding the Texas quarterback. The moment was striking: a third-string QB with just two college starts commanding more attention than many seasoned stars.

According to Finebaum, that attention has no modern precedent.

"People want to grab onto other players," Finebaum said. "Joe Burrow's not an example. Joe Burrow wasn't anybody, really, when he came here in 2019.

"Other players have matriculated, even Jayden Daniels. There is no really modern day comparison, I don't think, and I've seen a few of these. People in New York, people in LA, they know Arch, they don't know very much else."

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Manning, the nephew of NFL icons Peyton and Eli, enters this season as one of the most recognizable faces in college football. However, he has just thrown 60 passes in his collegiate career.

Paul Finebaum distinguishes Arch Manning and Johnny Manziel situations

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Johnny Manziel’s 2013 SEC Media Days appearance often gets cited as the gold standard of quarterback hype. However, Paul Finebaum sees a clear distinction. Manziel, after all, entered that summer as a Heisman winner and college football’s most electrifying playmaker.

"(Johnny) Manziel might have been bigger in the sense that he came here after getting kicked out of the Manning camp," Finebaum said on Wednesday.

"You remember it, there was hardly anything quite like it. I mean, Arch, everybody's having fun with. Manziel nobody knew whether he was going to even be eligible with all the controversy swirling around him. Manziel actually handled it fairly well."

Arch Manning’s limited action has shown promise. He gained 583 passing yards, four touchdowns and two picks. But those numbers don’t justify the media frenzy.

"I'm not sure how they get these opinions, I've only played what, two games," Manning said on Wednesday. "It's nice of them to say, but it doesn't mean anything. Talk is cheap, I gotta go prove it."

Despite his inexperience, Manning is viewed by some analysts, including Finebaum, as the most promising quarterback prospect since Tim Tebow. He’s already the early favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft.