Texas Longhorns’ Arch Manning Steps Into the 2026 Heisman Spotlight

After a strong finish to the 2025 season, the Texas Longhorns' star enters 2026 with real Heisman momentum.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning rushes with the ball for a touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

While the start of the college football season is still over six months away, the 2026 Heisman race is already taking shape. Once again, the Texas Longhorns have a legitimate contender for the prestigious award with quarterback Arch Manning returning for his junior year.

Manning's 2025 season included its share of rough patches, but it also showcased noticeable growth. Across all 13 games, the sophomore totaled 3,163 passing yards and 26 touchdowns while completing 61.3 percent of his passes.

Through his first five games, Manning averaged one interception per game. In the final eight games of the 2025 season, the quarterback turned the ball over just twice. That kind of finish to the season, despite missing out on the College Football Playoff, makes the Texas quarterback one of the most promising pass-throwers in the 2026 college football season.

It's because of that momentum that Manning has been included on ESPN's Way-too-early lookmat the 2026 Heisman Trophy race. Other names included on Mark Schlabach's way-too-early list of Heisman candidates include Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore.

The Contenders Standing Between Manning and the 2026 Heisman

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates a first down beside Miami Hurricanes defensive back Jakobe Thomas (8) during the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game on Dec. 31, 2025. Ohio State lost 24-14. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Manning certainly enters the 2026 season with real momentum, the national field of Heisman-caliber talent will be deeper than in recent seasons. Ohio State alone has three athletes on Schlabach's list of players to watch for the award.

Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith looks like the early Heisman frontrunner, and his quarterback Julian Sayin has an equally strong claim after a remarkable freshman campaign. Smith ended the 2025 season as arguably the most dominant non-quarterback in the country with 87 catches for 1,243 receiving yards and12 total touchdowns.

Sayin's freshman campaign was nothing short of excellent, even if it ended with a disappointing loss to the Miami Hurricanes. The signal-caller for the Buckeyes completed just under 80 percent (78.4) his throws for 3,323 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. He also turned the ball over just six times, making him one of the more efficient quarterbacks in the country. Buckeyes' running back Bo Jackson is also mentioned by Schlabach after rushing for over 1,000 yards as a true freshman.

Oregon's Dante Moore is also somebody that Manning will need to outperform as well. After a solid 2025 season, the quarterback for the Ducks shocked the college football world by forgoing the NFL Draft, despite being a first-round pick. Last season, Moore totaled 3,565 passing yards and 30 touchdowns to 10 interceptions.

There's also the wild card tier in the Heisman race. The guys showed that they compete with the best of the best with a strong season last year. Georgia's Gunner Stockton, Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker, Washington's Demond Williams, and Texas A&M's Marcel Reed all fall into this category. While most of them may not have gotten Heisman buzz last season, all of them have the potential to be in New York after the conclusion of the regular season.

For Manning, the path is clear but certainly demanding. The Longhorns have to keep their momentum from the end of the 2025 season, the quarterback will likely have to be more efficient, and the offense as a whole will need to take a large step forward.

With the addition of wide receiver Cam Coleman and the No. 10 portal class in the country, there's growing belief in Austin that Steve Sarkisian's offense has the potential to make the jump from just solid to elite in 2026. While Manning may not be the current favorite to win the award, finding a win over Ohio State early in the season would do wonders for his Heisman case.