Mel Kiper Jr. Downplays Arch Manning's Struggles vs. OSU, 'Much Ado About Nothing'

Legendary draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. isn't reading too much into Arch Manning's forgettable showing in Texas' 14-7 loss to Ohio State.

Kiper said Wednesday on ESPN's First Draft podcast the game was "much ado about nothing" in term of Manning's overall draft evaluation (4:10 mark). That's in large part because he isn't convinced the redshirt sophomore quarterback will declare for the 2026 NFL draft.

Manning pushed back after Archie Manning said his grandson will be at Texas for another year. Still, it feels more likely than not right now that the highly touted signal-caller will defer his NFL dreams to 2027.

If that's the case, then there's a ton of time for him to make NFL executives and scouts forget about his struggles in Columbus, Ohio.

Manning's numbers speak for themselves. He went 17-of-30 for 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception against Ohio State. Simply put, he didn't look like a QB you'd build an NFL franchise around.

Just as some of the hype surrounding the 21-year-old was premature, it would be equally hasty to go in the opposite direction and argue his draft stock will never recover from this.

Every notable college quarterback is bound to have a clunker or two.

As a junior at USC, Caleb Williams threw three interceptions in a 28-point loss to Notre Dame. Josh Allen had 174 yards and two picks in a 21-point Week 1 defeat to Iowa in 2017, which was by far his biggest showcase from a draft perspective. Jayden Daniels started what proved to be a Heisman Trophy-winning campaign with a 45-24 loss to Florida State in 2023.

All three were top-10 picks the following spring.

Manning will have ample opportunity this year to reassert himself as one of the best QBs in the 2026 draft class. Imagine how he'll get talked about if Texas winds up making the College Football Playoff and makes another deep run.

Should Manning stick around, the Buckeyes are back on the schedule in 2026. What happened the first time around will be largely pushed aside if he and the Longhorns gain a measure of revenge in Austin.