NFL Analyst Breaks Down Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning’s Skill Set

“Two starts and 95 career passing attempts provide too small a sample size to assess any signal-caller, but the early returns on Manning are positive,” Reid said. “He has immense potential, but his starts came against Mississippi State (2-10) and Louisiana Monroe (5-7)."

According to Reid, the 6-foot-4, 222-pound quarterback has a prototypical type and well-built frame. Manning, a redshirt sophomore, finished last season with nine touchdown passes, 939 passing yards and only two interceptions across 10 games.

“He has picture-perfect mechanics, throws from a strong platform and seems to always play on balance from the pocket,” Reid said. “He has the necessary arm strength and confidence to drive the ball into tight windows, but one of the more impressive parts of his film was his success as a downfield thrower.”

With a completion rate of 67.8 percent, Manning went 20-plus yards for 15 of his 61 completions last season; moreover, three of his nine touchdowns came through downfield passes. Additionally, he has a 187 passer rating with an average of 10.0 air yards per attempt.

“Manning will help the offense generate more explosive plays downfield because of his touch, arm strength and comfort on deep-shot plays,” Reid added.

However, Manning’s strengths aren’t just limited to his arm power and confidence on the field. He proves to shine through his mobility, turning into a reliable running threat.

“His frame and mobility allow him to string together positive plays outside the framework of concepts,” Reid said.

Areas to improve

While Manning proves to have many strengths, Reid noted that he needs refinement on multistep progressions from the pocket — thus, learning when and how to move on to his next options quicker to execute a play.

“He has a habit of sticking to his primary read too long,” Reid said. “Too many times last season, he stared down his first read, hoping the receiver would get open.”

Another area that Manning could improve on is utilizing his mobility to his advantage.

“His internal clock in the pocket was inconsistent,” Reid said. “During several plays, he could have hurt defenses even more as a running threat instead of hanging in the pocket too long.”

Heading into the season

While it remains highly unlikely the football legacy will declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, Reid expanded on Manning’s strengths and weaknesses as to how they relate back to his potential as a soon-to-be prospect.

With the Longhorns’ season starting up Aug. 30 against the Ohio State Buckeyes, Manning will soon put his abilities to the test.