Arch Manning Will Return to Texas for Junior Season, Forgoes 2026 NFL Draft

Arch Manning has seemed destined for the NFL for years, but that will have to wait, as he has committed to continuing his collegiate career at the University of Texas in 2026.

Manning's father, Cooper Manning, informed ESPN's Dave Wilson (h/t ESPN's Andrea Adelson) of the news in a text message on Monday night, writing, "Arch is playing football at Texas next year."

Manning was a household name before he ever took a college snap at Texas considering he is the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning and was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

However, he didn't become the Longhorns' full-time starter until 2025 and demonstrated some inconsistency in his first season. Whether he would enter the draft became a major talking point, and Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported in November he "almost certainly won't" enter the 2026 draft and would instead shift his focus to 2027.

That is now officially the path Manning will take.

It comes after what can only be described as an up-and-down 2025 campaign that started with the Longhorns managing just seven points in their season opener against Ohio State and then losing to Florida in their next game against a Power Four conference opponent.

Texas Longhorns - Ohio State Buckeyes Highlights

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However, they bounced back with four straight wins from there, including one over archrival Oklahoma and another over a College Football Playoff contender in Vanderbilt. 

While Manning and Co. saw their own CFP hopes take a hit with a 25-point loss to Georgia, they bounced back with an impressive victory over previously undefeated Texas A&M to end the regular season.

To Manning's credit, he demonstrated notable improvement after the slow start and ended up completing 61.4 percent of his passes for 2,942 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions to go with 244 yards and eight scores as a runner for the season.

Manning also still has one game remaining in his season, as the Longhorns will face the Michigan Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Eve.

His improvement also caught the eyes of NFL executives, with one telling Howe, "Shocker, a guy who had never started in major college football didn't get off to a race-car start. It's all still in front of him."

Another echoed that sentiment and said, "Guys are allowed to get better as players. We judged him off his, what, first three games in college football and said he's a bust? He's been getting better."

Oklahoma Sooners - Texas Longhorns Highlights

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B/R's Scouting Department projected Manning as the No. 11 overall pick and fourth quarterback selected behind Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, Alabama's Ty Simpson and Oregon's Dante Moore in a November mock draft.

B/R's Damian Parson also provided a scouting report that praised his "arm strength to drive the football into tight windows and attack the defense vertically," as well as his overall athleticism that helps him make plays with his legs as either a runner or someone navigating the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield.

Parson suggested Manning's pro comparison is J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings, who was the No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft.

If Manning is eventually going to be picked higher than that, it will have to wait until the 2027 draft.