Nobody is entering this college football season with as much hype as Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. Manning, entering his first season as the full-time starter for the Longhorns, has received praise from some of the top analysts covering the sport.
“Arch Manning is the best college football quarterback we have seen since Tim Tebow entered the scene in 2006,” ESPN college football analyst Finebaum said.
Mel Kiper, an NFL draft expert for ESPN, has Manning as the number one quarterback prospect in the 2026 class.
“We put him at No. 1 because we have to. It’s Arch Manning. We saw glimpses last year of the greatness he could provide that Texas offense. Running the football, he’s got great legs. Cooper Manning, his father, was a wide receiver until he got injured. So he’s got speed – something Eli and Peyton didn’t have…” he said.
“We don’t know if he will develop into that because he only has 95 career pass attempts… But for right now, you have to put him in one.”
However, Manning’s grandfather, Archie, said that his grandson would be staying in college after his junior year rather than declaring for the draft.
“Archie Manning declares of his grandson, ‘He’ll be at Texas’ for 2026. He’ll have to yell that at the top of his lungs all season to get the mock drafts to stop including Arch,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported.
Now, Arch is walking back Archie’s words, letting his grandfather know that the decision is his to make.
“Yeah, I don’t know where he got that from. I’m really just taking it day-by-day right now,” Arch said, via Underdog NFL.
Fans reacted to Arch’s statement on social media.
“Told gramps to mind his business and don’t speak for him lol,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“Translation: it depends on which teams are in position to draft him cause he doesn’t want to go to the Browns,” another person added.
“Arch isn’t leaving early; he will graduate in four years, just like his relatives. Legacy, legacy, legacy,” one fan added.
It’ll be interesting to see what Arch decides after the season is over.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.