Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning was a redshirt freshman during his 2024 college football season. In 2025, he will only be a redshirt sophomore, but Manning will be eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft.
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Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) carries the ball for a first down in the second quarter as the Texas Longhorns play the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semi-final at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Jan. 10, 2025.
There are a lot of questions about whether or not he will be one of the top quarterbacks drafted in 2026. There is also a chance that Manning could very well skip the 2026 NFL Draft and wait until the 2027 NFL Draft to be selected. It is going to be interesting to see what will happen with him in 2025.
College Football Analyst Thinks That Texas Longhorns Quarterback Arch Manning Could Stay In College Past 2025
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Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs the ball for a first down on fourth down in the second quarter of the Cotton Bowl Classic during the College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January, 10, 2025.
Many fans are just assuming that Manning is going to be one of the top picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, but some think that he could also wait until the 2027 NFL Draft occurs. Adam Rittenburg of espn.com said about the likelihood of the Longhorns having a multiyear quarterback,
“Wouldn’t rule it out. Arch Manning finally becomes QB1 for the Longhorns, and he could position himself as a top NFL draft selection in 2026. But Manning is in a unique situation because of his background and the money he has already earned in college. He doesn’t need to rush off to begin his pro career and could benefit from a second season as the starter under coach Steve Sarkisian.”
This will be his first full season as the starting quarterback for Texas. He was the backup quarterback in 2024 behind Quinn Ewers. Manning had to make a couple of starts for the Longhorns in 2024 because of injury to Ewers.
During the 2024 season, Manning completed 67.8% of his passes for 939 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also had a couple of rushing touchdowns during the 2024 season as well. There are a lot of Texas fans who are looking forward to him being the starting quarterback.
Manning is going to be in the Heisman Trophy conversation talks before the 2025 season begins. If he is one of the finalists for the Heisman Trophy and if he can lead this program to another national title for the first time in 20 years, then there is a chance that he will enter the 2026 NFL Draft. It would feel more likely for him to enter the 2026 NFL Draft rather than the 2027 NFL Draft, but there are a lot of variables at play here.
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