Texas' Arch Manning Downplays 2026 NFL Draft Rumors, 'I'm Just Focused on This Year'

Arch Manning is among the favorites to be the top overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. The Texas quarterback isn't getting ahead of himself, however.

"I'm really just worried about getting through this interview and then getting through the run tomorrow," he told reporters Tuesday during an appearance at SEC Media Days. "I'm just focused on this year and getting better each day."

To a degree, the narratives during Manning's football journey have always been centered on the future.

Would the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning be the sport's next great quarterback? Which school would he choose after being named the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2023? How long would he sit behind Quinn Ewers at Texas? Will he lead the Longhorns to a national championship now that he's the starter? Will he win the Heisman? Will he be the top overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft? Will he even decide to turn pro after this season? Will he light the NFL on fire once he arrives?

So you can understand, to a degree, why Manning might want to remain locked in on the present. Everybody else seems to have the conversations about his future covered.

Manning thrived when given the chance to play last season due to a Ewers injury, throwing for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 67.8 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 108 yards and four touchdowns.

It was his first stab at proving he'll live up to the monumental hype that has accompanied him, and he passed with flying colors. But the true test will come in the 2026 season, and Manning knows it.

"Talk is cheap," he told reporters. "I gotta go prove it."

If he does, he'll probably be the No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft, assuming he chooses to bypass his senior season. He'll cross that bridge when he gets to it.