Tennessee Vols QB receives the edge over Texas QB Arch Manning on the list of top players in college football

Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning was ranked below a Tennessee Vols QB by Pro Football Focus.

Zach Ragan — Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
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Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning will enter the 2026 college football season as one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy.

Manning finished his first full season as a starter with 3,163 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 399 yards and 10 touchdowns while leading Texas to a 10-3 season.

That’s a solid season for any quarterback. Pro Football Focus, however, believes Tennessee Vols quarterback Joey Aguilar was better in 2025.

PFF ranks Joey Aguilar above Arch Manning on list of the top 101 players in college football

PFF published its list of the top 101 players in college football for the 2025 season, and Aguilar came in four spots ahead of Manning.

Aguilar is ranked No. 46 on PFF’s list, while Manning sits at No. 50.

“Aguilar faced plenty of question marks after transferring to Tennessee last year, but he answered those and then some this season,” wrote PFF’s MaxChadwick. “His 90.6 PFF passing grade ranked fourth at the position behind only Julian Sayin, Diego Pavia and Fernando Mendoza. Aguilar’s turnover-worthy play rate ranked eighth-lowest in the country (1.9%).”

Part of the reason Manning is ranked below Aguilar is that the Texas quarterback started slowly in 2025.

“It wasn’t the start Manning wanted, but he showed down the stretch that his preseason hype was based on more than just his last name,” noted Chadwick. “From Week 9 on, his 89.5 PFF grade ranked sixth among all quarterbacks in the country.”

It’s truly incredible that Aguilar was that good for the Vols this past season despite arriving in Knoxville after spring practice.

Tennessee is waiting to hear if Aguilar will be granted an additional season of eligibility. At this point, it’s considered unlikely. But that door hasn’t been completely closed yet. According to the Knoxville News Sentinel’s Adam Sparks, a hearing has been set for Feb. 10 as Aguilar seeks an additional year of eligibility through a preliminary injunction in federal court.

Tennessee landed Colorado transfer quarterback Ryan Staub earlier this month. Staub will join rising redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and incoming true freshman Faizon Brandon in the Vols’ quarterback room in 2026.

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