Arch Manning has completely ruined his chances of winning the Heisman Trophy this season.
And it’s fair to wonder what Peyton and Eli’s nephew did to his draft stock on Saturday.
The Texas quarterback threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter as the Longhorns, who entered the day ranked No. 1 in the country, crumbled in a 27-24 loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. The Sooners (3-2) were unranked.
Manning’s first interception came with the game tied 17-17 and resulted in a pick-six that put Oklahoma ahead 24-17 with 10:07 remaining. He was scrambling to his right and chucked the ball up to nobody in particular, allowing defensive back Peyton Bowen to snag it and return it for a touchdown.
While Manning responded with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Bishop Jr. to tie the game with 6:32 left, he later threw a flat-footed interception to Sooners defensive back Courtland Guillory with 19 seconds remaining, an inexcusable throw on second-and-10 from the Sooner 49-yard line with the chance to put the Longhorns in position for a game-winning field goal.
Instead, it was Oklahoma, which took over at its own 39-yard line, quickly moving up the field, allowing Tate Sandell to drill a game-winning 47-yard field goal as time expired.
Manning, who finished 19-for-31 with 260 yards, three touchdowns and the two picks, is now a massive long shot to win the Heisman, as he’s tied for the 12th-best odds at +10000 as of Sunday morning, according to FanDuel. Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is the clear favorite at -210.
Smith is also the favorite at FanDuel to go No. 1 in the 2027 NFL Draft at +230, per FanDuel, with Manning and Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr both next at +420.
ESPN’s recent QB rankings for the 2027 NFL Draft have Manning fifth behind Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker, Miami’s Darian Mensah, Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss and Carr.
