Plenty of eyes will be on junior quarterbacks Arch Manning and Julian Sayin when No. 1 Ohio State visits No. 4 Texas Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC — including a heavy contingent of NFL scouts. Neither quarterback made much of an impact the last time these two teams met, when Ohio State escaped with a 14-7 win back in 2025. Manning completed just 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown, and an interception in that game, while Sayin went 13-of-20 for 126 yards and a single score.
A year older and considerably more experienced, both quarterbacks should get a real chance to showcase their full skill sets this time around, with Ryan Day and Steve Sarkisian expected to open up their game plans rather than play it conservatively. For NFL evaluators, Saturday’s matchup offers a critical opportunity to check off specific boxes on both players’ draft profiles.
What Arch Manning Needs to Show NFL Scouts
Manning’s mechanics already looked noticeably sharper in Texas’ 59-7 season-opening win over Texas State. After completing a below-average 61.4% of his passes in 2025, Manning opened this season by connecting on 20 of 27 attempts (74.1%) for 305 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception — a clear step forward in accuracy.
Still, scouts want to see more consistency in his decision-making. According to a scout who spoke with CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, Manning still needs to master the finer details of quarterback play. That was evident on one particular first-and-10 snap late in the second quarter against Texas State, when Manning checked down to receiver Ryan Wingo instead of pulling the trigger on a potential touchdown throw to a more open Cam Coleman. Avoiding a sack on that play was a positive, but NFL evaluators want to see Manning consistently take the bigger throw when it’s available rather than settling for the safer option.
If Manning can clean up that kind of decision-making against Ohio State, he could have a real opportunity to exploit a Buckeyes secondary that lost star safety Caleb Downs to the NFL this offseason. A strong, mistake-free showing against a defense of that caliber would go a long way toward validating his continued rise up draft boards.
What Julian Sayin Needs to Show NFL Scouts
Sayin enters the matchup as the more polished passer of the two, having led all of FBS with a 77% completion percentage in 2025. He opened this season by going 21-of-25 for 320 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-3 win over Ball State, though he did take two sacks in the process.
The primary knock scouts continue to raise about Sayin is his reluctance to use his legs. According to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, Sayin may need to show a willingness to run more against Texas, adding that scouting narratives around him could shift meaningfully if he does. That challenge is likely to be tested directly by Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, widely regarded as one of the best pass rushers in college football, who figures to disrupt at least a couple of plays and force Sayin to operate outside of a clean pocket. How Sayin responds when plays break down — whether he extends with his legs or simply looks to throw the ball away — could be one of the most scrutinized elements of his game plan Saturday.
Why This Matchup Matters So Much for Both Quarterbacks’ Draft Stock
Both Manning and Sayin are viewed as legitimate, talented NFL prospects, but like virtually every draft-eligible quarterback, each still has specific holes in his game that evaluators are tracking closely. Manning’s issue is largely about full command of NFL-level decision-making nuance, while Sayin’s is about proving he can create and extend plays when his initial reads aren’t there. Saturday’s showdown in Austin gives scouts a valuable, high-leverage data point on whether both quarterbacks are actively patching those weaknesses — or whether the same concerns will continue following them into the 2027 NFL Draft process.
What to Watch For as Manning and Sayin Face Off Again
With Texas’ talented pass rush and Ohio State’s retooled secondary both likely to create real pressure and difficult decisions for the opposing quarterback, Saturday’s game should offer far more usable evaluation tape than last year’s relatively low-scoring, defense-driven meeting. For two of the top quarterback prospects in the sport, this matchup could end up being one of the most closely dissected games of the entire college football season not just for playoff implications, but for how it shapes each player’s standing heading into the 2027 NFL Draft cycle.
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