Chad Powers

Did You Know?

• Eli Manning appears as Ole Miss Coach.
• Megan Ketch plays Wendy, wife of Jake Hudson.
• The series is developed from an Omaha Productions skit by Eli Manning.

Cast

Glen Powell plays Russ Holliday, an arrogant former college quarterback who disguises himself as Chad Powers. Perry Mattfeld portrays Ricky Hudson, offensive assistant coach and daughter of head coach Jake Hudson, played by Steve Zahn. Quentin Plair appears as Coach Byrd, Wynn Everett as booster trust chair Tricia, and Frankie Rodriguez as mascot Danny Cruz. Clayne Crawford plays quarterback coach Dobbs, Toby Huss plays Mike Holliday, and Colton Ryan, Xavier Mills, Keese Wilson, and others round out the cast. Haliey Welch and Eli Manning appear as themselves.

Production

Glen Powell and Michael Waldron created Chad Powers, receiving a series order from Hulu in February 2024. The show is based on Eli Manning's character from Eli's Places, with Eli and Peyton Manning assisting in securing football arenas and props. Filming began in late August 2024, with Natalie Holt composing the score and Patrick Tuck editing. The second season was ordered on December 3, 2025, and began filming on January 7, 2026, with Waldron directing four episodes including the first and final ones.

Reception

Following its premiere, Chad Powers ranked number one on both Disney+ and Hulu's daily most-watched lists. TVision reported it as the fourth most-streamed program in the U.S. between September 29 and October 12. Whip Media listed it among the ten most-streamed original shows in the U.S. from the week ending October 12 through October 19. Luminate data showed it debuted at number 34 on its Top 50 streaming shows with nearly 1.6 million hours viewed from a single episode, then rose to number 19 with 2.2 million hours across two episodes, remaining on the chart throughout its six-episode run. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 58% approval rating from 48 reviews, with a critics consensus noting Powell's charms paired with an off-putting role. Metacritic gave a score of 53 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews. Stuart Heritage of The Guardian awarded 4 out of 5 stars, praising Powell's performance and the show's exploration of identity. Alex Kirshner of Slate viewed the show as balancing absurdity and humor while building an engaging fictional college football world.