Texas Longhorns star quarterback Arch Manning could have declared for the NFL Draft after finishing the 2025 season on a high note. However, it sounds like that was never going to happen.
Manning struggled at the beginning of the season. However, by the end of the year, he looked like one of the top quarterbacks in the nation.
Over the final five games of the regular season, Manning topped 250 passing yards in four contests and helped guide the Longhorns to a 2-1 record against ranked teams. During that span, he accounted for 12 touchdown passes while throwing just a single interception.
That noticeable leap in performance sparked plenty of buzz that Manning might declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. However, he ultimately decided to return to Texas for at least one more season.
“I feel like I developed a lot this year, especially toward the back half and I want to keep it going,” Manning said of his decision to return to Texas, via Fox News Digital. “There’s no reason to leave. I feel like I got a lot more football left to play and excited to still be a part of this team.”
While it might have seemed like a tough decision from the outside, it sounds like it was never much of a decision at all.
During a recent interview, Arch’s father, Cooper Manning, was asked whether Arch was “always staying in school.” Cooper confirmed that his son was never seriously considering leaving for the NFL after this season.
“I grew up listening to my parents talking about how great college was, I still love my years in college. Eli was there for five years, Peyton was four. It’s such a fun, special time in your life. The idea of hurrying it up and trying to get out of there seems kind of silly to me,” Cooper continued.
“I know how challenging that next level is. So savor every moment of college. If you’re lucky enough to go to the University of Texas and hang out in Austin, Texas, where people like you and get to play football and go to these great SEC towns and compete on the highest level with your teammates and with your great friends, shoot, why would anybody want to hurry up and get out of that?”
Clearly, it was never much of a decision for the young star quarterback. And Texas is already rewarding that decision.
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