Arch Manning Receives Major NFL Draft Prediction From Grandfather

When the 2025 college football season concludes, Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning will get to choose whether or not he wants to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft.

He will have spent three full years on the Forty Acres at that point, making him an eligible candidate to take his talents to the next level. That being said, Manning will only have had one year as a starter with the Longhorns under his belt, and it seems like his family believes he will look to add another.

Most recently, his grandfather Archie Manning commented on the path he predicts Arch will follow.

Archie Talks Arch Manning's Potential Plans

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning warms up before the College Football Playoff against the Clemson Tigers. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Although he told Texas Monthly he hasn’t talked to Arch about his future plans, he made a remark based on what he knows about his grandson.

“Arch isn’t going to do that,” Archie said when asked about whether his grandson will look to pursue the NFL after this season. “He’ll be at Texas.”

Despite the fact that many feel confident he will play two years with the Longhorns, it’s worth outlining what the alternative could look like. ESPN gave Arch a 10 percent chance of being the first overall pick in the event that he declares for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Other potential top prospects

Other highly-rated potential 2026 quarterback draftees to look out for this season include Penn State’s Drew Allar, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers.

Unlike Manning, each of these prospects will have accumulated at least two years as their respective teams’ starters ahead of the next NFL Draft. Both Allar and Klubnik will be the most experienced, with three years of starting experience.

Quinn Ewers, who preceded Manning at Texas, led the team for three seasons as well. This isn’t to say that Manning couldn’t prove himself after just one year of starting, but it could be beneficial for him to continue honing his craft in college for one more year.

He spent two years developing as a backup, which demonstrated his willingness to wait his turn and make sure he’s ready to go when his time comes.

Just how ready he is will be unveiled on Aug. 30, when the Longhorns travel to Columbus, Ohio, to face the Ohio State Buckeyes. After reaching back-to-back College Football Playoff semifinals, a lot rides on this team’s ability to capitalize in big moments this season.

It should be an interesting season to watch, and according to Archie, fans will likely get to see Manning in burnt orange for the season that follows this one too.