Multiple NFL Scouts Give Thoughts on Texas Longhorns Quarterback Arch Manning

Even with his grandfather Archie Manning declaring that his grandson “isn't going to do that,” when asked about the young Manning declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft in an interview with Texas Monthly, saying that “He’ll be at Texas” after the upcoming season. A scout said that people within NFL organizations would want Manning to leave Texas after the 2026 season, but understand how the Mannings operate.

"People in the league want him to come out. Fans want him to come out. But I really feel like he's in no rush, given his support system," an NFC West scout added. "The family is going to care where he goes and who has the first pick when he does enter the draft."

An NFC scouting director proposed an interesting scenario in which Manning's NFL Draft decision could be dependent on who controls the 2026 NFL Draft.

"They'll want to see which team has the No. 1 pick and if they've fired their coach -- which is pretty common -- [and] who the replacement is before jumping into the draft," the scouting director said.

One scout discussed that Manning is still an unpolished gem, which, with just a pair of starts, makes it not difficult to understand the breakdown. However, in those two starts, Manning gave a sneak peek of his talent, completing 41 of his 60 passes and throwing for 583 yards and four touchdowns.

"We're still talking about a guy who has two starts, right?" an AFC South area scout said when asked to break down Manning's game. "He's big, he has a strong arm and I love the flexibility in his throwing motion. And he can move much better than his uncles ever did. But he's very raw, and last year, the game was way too fast for him when he got in against Georgia and looked overwhelmed."

One thing that is for certain is that Arch Manning will be leading the Longhorns to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes when Texas opens the season on Aug. 30 at 11 a.m. on FOX.