$5.4 million QB named 'best returning' quarterback in college football

A quarterback at a major college football program is considered the 'best returning' player at the position in 2026.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs with the ball against the Michigan Wolverines | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Just under seven months remain until the first weekend of the 2026 college football season.

Many of the stars from the 2025 college football season are off to the 2026 NFL draft, but a sizable portion remain in college. Some of the key returnees elected to use the transfer portal to find another school in 2026, but many who are staying put through the offseason.

One player who has skipped the 2026 NFL draft to play for the school he started his college career at is Texas quarterback Arch Manning. He is entering his fourth season with the Longhorns and is considered one of the top prospects for the 2027 NFL draft class.

Cody Nagel of CBS Sports compiled a list of the ten best returning college football players in 2026 on Tuesday. He listed Manning as the best returning quarterback going into next season.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up before a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

"His 2.85 offensive touchdowns per game trailed only Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt), Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) and Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati) among Power Four quarterbacks," Nagel wrote.

"In the final five games, which included matchups against four top-25 teams, Manning posted 15 offensive touchdowns and just one turnover, cementing himself as one of college football's top returning players for 2026."

The 6-foot-4, 219-pounder was a five-star recruit in Texas' 2023 signing class. Manning was third behind Quinn Ewers and Maalik Murphy on the quarterback depth chart, so he used a redshirt. He completed two of five pass attempts in a blowout win against Texas Tech and took the final snaps in the Longhorns' 2023 Big 12 Championship win against Oklahoma State.

Ewers returned as the Longhorns' starter in 2024, but an injury he suffered against UTSA opened the door for Manning to start against ULM and Mississippi State. Even though Manning only had two opportunities to start, the Longhorns featured him in short-yardage run plays throughout the season. In total, he passed for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing for 108 yards and four touchdowns.

The start to 2025 was challenging for Manning, as many expected him to be a Heisman frontrunner heading into the season. Instead, the Longhorns dropped their first two Power Four games at Ohio State (14-7) and Florida (29-21). The final three weeks of October saw a ranked win in a defensive battle against Oklahoma (23-6) and overtime survivals against a pair of 5-7 teams in Kentucky (16-13) and Mississippi State (45-38).

As Nagel alluded to, the final five games of the season are where Manning showed his worth to the college football world. Aside from a road loss at Georgia (35-10), the Longhorns won every other game after November with ranked wins against Vanderbilt (34-31), Texas A&M (27-17) and Michigan (41-27). Manning finished 2025 with 3,163 pass yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing for 399 yards and 10 touchdowns.