Arch Manning has not had a full season as a starter yet for Texas football, but anticipation for his NFL career is already running rampant.
Arch Manning, the nephew of former NFL Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, is widely projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, despite attempting just 95 career passes over his first two seasons with the Longhorns.
Manning’s grandfather, Archie Manning, said he has not spoken to his grandson about his impending pro decision. But he told Texas Monthly he does not anticipate his grandson leaving Texas after starting one year in Austin.
“Arch isn’t going to do that,’ Archie told Texas Monthly. ‘He’ll be at Texas.”
This could serve as a warning to any NFL teams potentially aiming to tank for the Texas Longhorns quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick. While Peyton and Eli Manning eventually went on to become the No. 1 overall picks in the 1998 and 2004 drafts, respectively, both stayed at college through the duration of their eligibility.
Archie also went No. 2 overall in the 1971 NFL Draft, playing 13 seasons in the NFL. Eli Manning won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants, while Peyton won one with the Indianapolis Colts and one with the Denver Broncos.
Texas was ranked as the No. 1 team in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll released on Monday, Aug. 4. The Longhorns will open the season against No. 2 Ohio State in Week 1 on Aug. 28 in Columbus, Ohio.
Manning has completed 63 of 95 passes for 969 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions while mainly serving as a backup to Quinn Ewers in his first two collegiate seasons. Ewers was a seventh-round selection by the Miami Dolphins in the 2025 NFL Draft.