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EA Sports' QB ratings reveal 2026 pecking order and Arch Manning fans won't be pleased

Arch Manning can add EA Sports to his list of doubters.
ByEthan Lee|
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Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Key Points

Bullet point summary by AI

  • EA Sports' College Football 27 quarterback rankings are out, reshaping the 2026 Heisman race with surprising tiers.
  • Arch Manning lands outside the top five despite a strong late-season surge for the Texas Longhorns.
  • The debate now centers on whether Manning can sustain his improved play and close the gap on the nation’s elite signal-callers.

Look, as we entered the 2025 college football season, there was a lot of hype that was being hurled at a certain quarterback in Austin, Texas. And with what we saw for much of the 2025 season, it was clear that Arch Manning, the young starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns, wasn’t ready to be considered a Heisman Trophy candidate. 

He just wasn’t that good. But, for the second half of the season, Manning improved. And that improvement paired with a seeming better understanding of the offense and development that just seemed to take place makes it feel like Manning would be the center of attention heading into the 2026 college football season.

That doesn’t seem to be the case and also he’s not even ranked among EA Sports’ top five quarterbacks for College Football 27. Right now, the top quarterback in the country is playing in the Big Ten. As is the second-ranked quarterback. Manning isn't even being considered the best quarterback in his own conference. That's Trinidad Chambliss.

EA Sports ranks Oregon Ducks’ Dante Moore as top QB entering 2026

Here’s the top ranked quarterbacks in the country according to EA Sports College Football 27 ratings:

  • No. 1: Dante Moore, Oregon Ducks - 95 overall
  • No. 2: Julian Sayin, Ohio State Buckeyes - 94 overall
  • No. 3: Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss Rebels - 93 overall
  • No. 4 (Tie): CJ Carr, Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 92 overall
  • No. 4 (Tie): Jayden Maiava, USC Trojans - 92 overall
  • No. 6 (Tie): Arch Manning, Texas Longhorns - 91 overall
  • No. 6 (Tie): Darian Mensah, Miami Hurricanes - 91 overall
  • No. 8 (Tie): Noah Fifita, Arizona Wildcats - 90 overall
  • No. 8 (Tie): Sam Leavitt, LSU Tigers - 90 overall
  • No. 10 (Tie): Byrum Brown, Auburn Tigers - 89 overall
  • No. 10 (Tie): Devon Dampier, Utah Utes - 89 overall
  • No. 10 (Tie): Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State Cowboys - 89 overall
  • No. 10 (Tie): John Mateer, Oklahoma Sooners - 89 overall
  • No. 10 (Tie): Kevin Jennings, SMU Mustangs - 89 overall

It’s important to remember that this isn’t necessarily a disrespectful spot for the Longhorns’ quarterback when you consider just how much talent is all over the country in this crop of quarterbacks.

There’s no shame in being behind guys like Moore, Saying, Chambliss, and such. Those guys are remarkable and they definitely played like it last season.

Plus, it’s also important to remember that Manning wasn’t particularly impressive in several of his games early on for the Longhorns. Before UT’s dramatic overtime win over Mississippi State in week eight, Manning was averaging 207 passing yards per game and had 12 touchdown passes against five picks. In the final six games of the season, Manning was averaging 285 passing yards per game, 14 touchdown passes, and just two picks.

If Manning is going to move up in the pecking order here, he’s going to need to continue that trend of improvement going forward.

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