Texas QB Arch Manning is yet to set foot on the field as the Longhorns’ starter, and the hype surrounding him as the 2026 NFL Draft’s No. 1 QB is already off the charts.
CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson is not buying into the bizarre hype, though. He instead believes that Manning will return to Austin for another year or two before he makes the move.
“And, yes, Arch Manning is QB1 in the 2026 class. But instead of just penciling his name at the top of the page and worrying about the subsequent 31 picks, I’m working from the assumption that Manning will be at Texas in 2025 and again in 2026,” Wilson wrote.
“History suggests he may not be in a rush to leave college for the NFL, and barring, say, a Heisman Trophy and a national title, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect Manning to hang around Austin for a couple more years.”
The Manning family has already hinted at their preference for Arch staying in college for three or four years before moving to the NFL.
It only adds another layer to the analysts’ argument that the QB possibly not declare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
That gives Steve Sarkisian a top QB for at least two years, not to mention a robust roster to accompany him.
Given this leverage, the expectations surrounding the Longhorns’ National Championship title would also be through the roof.
Then there is the flip side of Manning declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. In that case, he’ll undeniably be the No.1 QB of the class.
With Manning out of the picture, Wilson ranks LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier the top QB on his mock draft.