Why Arch Manning Is Reportedly Taking Pay Cut at Texas After Skipping 2026 NFL Draft

Arch Manning is reportedly taking a pay cut in revenue share at Texas in 2026 in hope of helping the Longhorns build a championship roster ahead of what could be his final college season.

On3's Justin Wells reported Friday that Manning has agreed to take a smaller cut of Texas' revenue-sharing pool "as part of an effort to help the Longhorn football program do whatever it takes to support a 2026 championship run."

According to Wells, the revenue-sharing money left behind by Manning "could be used on transfer portal talent or as part of retention efforts."

The agreement does not impact how much money Manning receives from NIL deals, Wells noted.

Revenue sharing was capped at $20.5 million per athletics program during the 2025-26 academic year. That cap is expected to increase next fall.

Even taking a lower revenue-sharing cut likely won't stop Manning from entering his junior season as one of the highest-paid players in college athletics. He currently leads all student-athletes with a $5.3 million NIL valuation as estimated by On3.

The news comes shortly after Manning's father, Cooper Manning, told ESPN's Dave Wilson on Monday his son would be returning for another season at Texas rather than declaring for the 2026 NFL draft.

The news came after Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian made his case for Manning to return for another college season ahead of the New Year's Eve Citrus Bowl against Michigan.

"I think he's a young man who's gotten considerably much better as the season's gone on, and not only physically but I think mentally, maturity-wise, of assuming that position," Sarkisian said earlier this week. "I would think he's gonna 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. For him, I think, the competitor in him is gonna say, 'Man, I sure would like another crack at trying to do those things.'"

Sarkisian has spent the offseason so far working on revamping his coaching staff by bringing in former Florida and South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator and former UF staffer Jabbar Juluke as running backs coach.

The Longhorns also boast the No. 8 recruiting class in the nation after early signing days, per 247Sports composite rankings, after securing commitments from players including consensus five-star athlete Jermaine Bishop.

Sarkisian will hope these additions to the roster and staff will help Manning take a step forward in 2026 as the Longhorns look to build on the 6-1 run with which they ended this season.