Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) takes the field before the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Playoff First Round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning to Skip 2026 NFL Draft? Expert Weighs In

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Harrison Reno | Last updated Apr 23, 2025 9:53 AM ET

While 19 Texas Longhorns will await to hear their name called in this year's NFL Draft , current players like Arch Manning will spend the three days watching the event unfold, potentially envisioning what their NFL future holds.

For some of the Longhorns, that future could be sooner than for others. Manning's NFL career could begin this time next year, when the former five-star prospect will be eligible to declare for the draft following this coming season.

However, just because Manning could go one-and-done as the Texas starter doesn't mean he will. ESPN's Matt Miller is viewing Manning as a 2027 NFL Draft prospect rather than a 2026 one. Miller revealed this during his appearance on the "College Gameday Podcast."

“I keep telling people he’s a 2027 guy,” Miller said. “So, let’s cool our heads a little bit on the Arch talk.”

If there is anything that we know of Manning and his family from the two seasons that he has spent in Austin so far, it is that he is in no rush. This has already been made evident via his patience to sit behind Quinn Ewers for two seasons as the backup quarterback, when Manning very well could have transferred and played elsewhere right away.

He could very well take the same approach when it comes to the draft. While he already does have 12 games on tape in his Texas career, which includes two starts, depending on how far the Longhorns go next season, he may only have 18 career starts under his belt at the end of his redshirt sophomore season.

That could lead to him returning to Austin for a second season as the starting quarterback, as NFL evaluators tend to want to see more than just a season of tape from a quarterback. Especially after some recent examples of one-season starters not working out in the NFL, like, for example, Alabama's Mac Jones.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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