Paul Finebaum has never hidden his admiration for Texas quarterback Arch Manning. Despite his limited on-field experience in the college ranks, Finebaum has continually spoken highly of the nephew to Peyton and Eli Manning, and even declared him the greatest college quarterback since Florida legend Tim Tebow.
Finebaum was in attendance for SEC media day on Tuesday, and he had something of a fanboy moment when Manning unexpectedly reached out for a handshake while making his way across the room.
The 69-year-old looked pretty pleased to receive the small bit of recognition from Manning, and Finebaum got in on the joke himself, too. The college football analyst posted the clip to his own social media and captioned it, "Easily the best handshake since Tim Tebow..."
Easily the best handshake since Tim Tebow... 🤝 pic.twitter.com/EU3eQ6rhPM
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) July 15, 2025
Manning has only appeared in 12 games and attempted just 95 passes in his collegiate career, completing 63 of them for 969 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions. He's tacked on 28 rushes for 115 yards and four TDs. Now, Manning is set take the reins for the Longhorns after Quinn Ewers left for the NFL.
After continually hyping up Manning throughout the offseason, Finebaum will be hoping the 21-year-old can prove him right with his play on the field as the No. 1 QB in Texas.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Paul Finebaum Had Funniest Reaction to Unexpected Handshake From Arch Manning.
