Mel Kiper Jr. Won't Put Arch Manning on 2026 NFL Draft Big Boards amid Texas Rumors

Texas quarterback Arch Manning was thought to be the frontrunner for the top pick in the 2026 NFL draft, but one expert doesn't feel that he's ready to make the transition to the professional level.

ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. declared during Wednesday's episode of First Draft that he will be leaving Manning off his 2026 draft big boards because he feels it's clear that the 21-year-old needs another year of college football to prove that he's ready for the NFL.

"I'd want to go through a year next year where he's the guy, you see that alpha, you see the guy that says, 'I got a command of this offense, I got a command of college football, I can dominate.' You can just see it, he's trying to figure it out. If you're trying to figure out college, you're not going to the NFL in April, forget about it. He's back at Texas in year two next season," Kiper said around the 11:15 mark. "He's not gonna be on any of my big boards, he's not gonna be in any of my top 10 positional analyses coming out, my rankings, he will not appear. Now, if he decides in January to come out, I'll put him in then. He's not gonna be on the big board, he needs to go back for 2026."

Manning has yet to make an official decision on whether he will enter the 2026 NFL draft, and he's kept his thought process to himself. When his grandfather, Archie, said over the offseason that the youngster would be returning to Texas next year, Manning told reporters, "I don't know where he got that from," and added, "I'm really just taking it day by day right now."

Amid his up-and-down start to the 2025 season in his first year as the Longhorns' starting quarterback, many have wondered if the hype surrounding Manning was wildly overblown. He struggled with just 170 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a loss to Ohio State in the season opener, but he threw for 295 yards, four touchdowns and an interception while also adding a rushing score in a win over San Jose State this past Saturday.

If Manning continues to struggle with his consistency, Kiper won't be the only one calling for him to stay at Texas for another year. The Longhorns will be back in action on Saturday against UTEP.