Arch Manning Spurns NFL Draft for Texas in 2026
After a ton of speculation and a bit of a disappointing year, Arch Manning is officially skipping the draft and staying at Texas. This is not the most surprising thing, since Manning went from consensus number one to a question mark this season.
However, the Longhorns quarterback would still be quite the intriguing prospect in the first round of a confounding QB class. Nevertheless, he's decided to hone his craft for another year under Steve Sarkisian.
Arch Manning Decides to Stay in School
Earlier this season, when Arch Manning was struggling a bit, his grandfather, Archie, guaranteed he'd be back at Texas in 2026. The QB himself hadn't said anything about that.
And as the season progressed, a return seemed equally as likely as an exit to the NFL. However, according to ESPN, his father, Cooper, texted reporter Dave Wilson that Manning "is playing football at Texas next year."
Texas officials confirmed the report, noting that they're also expecting the young quarterback to return to College Station. This, according to Steve Sarkisian, is a really good idea for Manning.
"He's a young man who's gotten better as the season's gone on, and not only physically, but mentally, maturity-wise," Sarkisian said before Texas' bowl game. "I would think he's going to want another year of that growth to put himself in position for hopefully a long career in the NFL. And he's got some unfinished business of what he came here to do and what he came here to accomplish."
Sarkisian said that Texas enjoyed a "really good" year with Manning under center, but that they left "meat on the bone." This was a team projected to win the national title this year, with Manning starting the season as the Heisman favorite. They all came up short, so Sarkisian believes there's more for this squad to do. That will, apparently, be attempted again in 2026 with their quarterback on the roster.
Overall, it was a strong but disappointing season. Prior to the bowl game, Manning was 227/370 with 2,942 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Just two of those interceptions came in the final seven games, with Texas surging and making a push for the College Football Playoff. Manning also had eight rushing touchdowns on the season.
What's Next?
In the immediate future, what's next for Arch Manning is the bowl game and then another season in college. After not starting for two seasons, the quarterback showed some issues that put the brakes on his upside.
Many, such as Paul Finebaum, had prematurely crowned Manning the best player in college and the presumptive Heisman and first overall pick. Finebaum even said he was the best college QB since Tim Tebow in the late 2000s. That was a wild take even before Manning struggled.
None of that transpired, so the future is back with Texas. But beyond that, the NFL is calling. Some believed he'd still definitely be a first-round pick in the 2026 draft. Instead, he figures to be one of the top picks in 2027.
Unless he regresses, he will be a first-round pick. And assuming he improves on those issues and gets better from year one to year two, he will likely be back in the mix for the top overall selection.
Manning may not be the generational prospect he was tabbed as, but he's still a very promising quarterback with a bright future. Whether or not he wins a Heisman or becomes the first overall pick, plenty of NFL teams are waiting for him to turn pro and will take a chance on him.
It's just not happening in 2026. But in 2027, expect the Manning hype train to continue rolling.
