NFL Scout Gets Honest About Arch Manning’s Return to Texas

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning entered the 2025 college football season as a favorite for the Heisman Trophy, a prospective first-round pick and one of the biggest names in college football.

Despite a strong finish to his redshirt sophomore season, Manning fell short of the lofty expectations created by fans and the media. He will return to Austin, Texas, in 2026 for his redshirt junior season, foregoing the 2026 NFL draft.

Was it the right move for Manning to return to school and continue to develop? According to one NFL scout, the league is “glad” he did.

NFL Scout ‘Glad’ Arch Manning Returned to Texas in 2026

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning warms up before a game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Per Orangebloods.com, an NFL scout recently detailed the process of Manning’s return for his redshirt junior season. According to the scout, the league is “glad” he went back for another season of development.

“He's just not on [Fernando] Mendoza's level,” the anonymous scout said.

The scout said Manning still needs to improve mechanically, which was a common criticism of the first-year starter. Particularly during the first half of the season, Manning struggled to maintain his lower-body mechanics which led to issues with his accuracy.

When asked about Arch Manning's NFL Potential, a NFL Scout was quite frank about Arch's current stage of development 😬

"Arch really needs to improve in 2026 mechanically; his processing is too slow right now. His athleticism is apparent and saved him quite a bit this year. But… pic.twitter.com/QHh8kdKhzn
— Orangebloods.com (@orangebloods_) February 6, 2026

While Manning’s arm talent is still apparent, the mechanical issues caused him to miss throws that he did not struggle to convert during his first two seasons in limited action.

During the first six weeks, Manning's adjusted completion percentage (70.4%) ranked 16th among SEC quarterbacks with at least 50 dropbacks.

However, Manning and the Longhorns cleaned up his play in the second half of the year. From Week 7 on, Manning ranked fourth in adjusted completion percentage (76.8%). His PFF passing grade also jumped from 76.8 to 83.5.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning throws a pass against the Texas A&M Aggies. — Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning throws a pass during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The scout said that Manning’s processing also needed to speed up, and while his athleticism can get him out of trouble, he would tend to rely on it.

“His processing is too slow right now,” they said. “His athleticism is apparent and saved him quite a bit this year.”

The scout also made a damning claim about Manning.

“If his last name wasn't Manning, you wouldn't have asked me about him," the scout said.

The scout said that if Manning had a different surname, he would be viewed as a high-potential quarterback prospect like South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers, rather than a completed product.

This is not a new criticism of Manning, as a member of one of the most famous football families in the world. He is the nephew of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning and the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, his namesake.

Coming from a family like the Mannings certainly set high expectations for a young Arch, who was viewed not just as a five-star quarterback but one of the best high school recruits ever. The Isidore Newman School product was involved in one of the highest-profile recruiting processes in recent history, becoming a household name as a high schooler.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) reacts after throwing a touchdown pass against the Arkansas Razorbacks. — Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) reacts after throwing a touchdown pass in the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Manning, though, proved his mettle in high school in New Orleans and showed promise in his first two seasons at Texas behind Quinn Ewers. His last name may have led to a bigger spotlight, but not all players from NFL lineages are given the same grace as Manning, who not only earned it but has delivered.

A revamped offense with running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, offensive line help from Melvin Siani and Laurence Seymore and pass-catching talent in Cam Coleman and Sterling Berkhalter should give Manning every opportunity to further develop in 2026. The Longhorns applied pressure in the transfer portal in pursuit of a return to the College Football Playoff.

His campaign in 2025 was undoubtedly far from perfect, as the scout pointed out. Manning played his way out of the preseason hype which framed him as a potential No. 1 pick. But his return in 2026 signifies a commitment to improving himself and a chase for team success, which could result in Manning proving he is more than just a last name.