Arch Manning 2027 NFL Draft Stock Hyped By Fans as Texas Beats Michigan in Citrus Bowl

Arch Manning shined as No. 13 Texas took down Bryce Underwood and No. 18 Michigan by the final score of 41-27 in the Citrus Bowl on Wednesday.

With Texas holding a narrow four-point lead and just over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Manning broke the game open with a 60-yard rushing touchdown.

He finished 21-of-34 for 221 yards, recording four total touchdowns without turning the ball over. Manning also rushed for a collegiate career-high 155 yards on just nine attempts.

Fans and pundits praised his performance while discussing his 2027 draft outlook.

Wednesday's contest was a hard-fought battle, with neither team holding a two-score lead until Manning's late 60-yard touchdown.

Michigan found the end zone first, earning a 7-3 advantage at the end of the first quarter due to a 19-yard touchdown pass from Underwood to Kendrick Bell.

A fourth-down conversion by the Longhorns led to them tying the game 10-10 with a three-yard score by running back Christian Clark.

Both teams traded touchdowns on their next two drives, but Texas was prevented from potentially taking the lead before halftime after a mistimed snap resulted in a loss of 22 yards and knocked head coach Steve Sarkisian's squad out of field goal range.

A missed field goal by the Wolverines kept the score tied at the half, though.

Michigan opened the second half with a field goal, but Texas took its first lead of the game with a 23-yard scramble by Manning in which he evaded multiple defenders before scoring.

Underwood responded with a five-yard rushing touchdown of his own, putting the Wolverines back in front.

The lead was short-lived, as Manning connected with Kaliq Lockett for a 30-yard touchdown on the Longhorns' next drive.

Turnovers finally caught up to the Wolverines, as Underwood was picked off three times in the second half.

The true freshman quarterback finished 23-of-42 for 199 yards and two touchdowns to go along with the trio of interceptions. Underwood also rushed for 69 yards.

With Manning returning to Texas for his junior season in 2026, he'll be one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2027 NFL draft class.