Recent NFL Champion Already Showing Interest in Texas Longhorns' Arch Manning

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning has yet to even throw 100 collegiate passes, but the NFL Draft buzz he's received is pretty much unmatched by any current college football player.

Much of that comes from him being related to three former NFL stars, being the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning and grandson of Archie. In fairness, though, he has looked good in his limited action thus far, and he should be able to thrive as a full-time starter this fall.

Even before then, though, at least one NFL team reportedly views him as the next big thing.

Rams View Arch Manning as Matthew Stafford's Successor?

According to Yahoo! Sports senior reporter Charles Robinson, the Los Angeles Rams hold Manning in very high regard and could view him as a potential successor to Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford.

"One prominent name that surfaces inside this ideology is Texas quarterback Arch Manning, who some believe will end up being the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft following his 2025 season — if he leaves college before his senior year in 2026. Manning is tied to the Rams for a very obvious reason: Les Snead’s stepson Tate is known to be a close friend of Arch Manning, and Snead himself chatted up Arch Manning at the Texas pro day prior to the 2025 NFL Draft.

"But it goes deeper than that. Speaking to a handful of Rams personnel sources, Manning is — at this moment — considered by the staff to be the lone Tier 1 quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, regardless of who else could enter into the selection process. Why? The Rams covet Manning’s prototypical size (6-foot-4, 219 pounds) and throwing acumen … but also believe his high level of athleticism sets him apart from every other college quarterback. So much so, the comparison for Manning inside the franchise is that his ceiling after the 2025 college season could be a Josh Allen-type of prospect who is actually stronger physically and a faster athlete than Allen was when he entered the draft in 2018."

Robinson added that even if Stafford doesn't retire after this season, the Rams could look to draft Manning and keep him on the bench for a year. He compared it to what the Kansas City Chiefs did with Patrick Mahomes, who sat behind Alex Smith as a rookie in 2017.

That sounds like a good plan, but it hinges on Manning entering the 2026 NFL Draft, which is far from a sure thing. If anything, it seems more likely at the moment that he'll return for another year of college football in 2026 than enter the draft in 2027.

When Manning eventually enters the draft, though, he'll undoubtedly have teams lining up for the chance to draft him.