Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

College Football Analyst 'Not Surprised' By Arch Manning NFL Draft Prediction

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Aaron Raley | Last updated Aug 10, 2025 9:00 AM ET

A Manning is hot talk in the college football news, but it's not exactly the one that you would expect.

Archie Manning, the grandfather of Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, grabbed the attention of many football fans earlier in the week by saying that his grandson would not be entering the 2026 NFL Draft.

Considering that after this season, Arch will have, at most, 18 starts in his college career, one more year at a decently high level before going to the highest of levels will definitely help the young star going forwards.

Some may have been a bit surprised or at least puzzled by the comment made by the Manning patriarch, but it didn't come as a shock to Paul Finebaum in the slightest.

Finebaum Says That Prolonging College Careers 'Runs in the Family'

In an appearance on SportsCenter Friday, Finebaum elaborated on how he wasn't surprised by Archie's comments, chalking it all up to the last name.

"It didn't surprise me, one of the biggest surprises I've ever seen was about 30 years ago when Peyton Manning came back for a final season at Tennessee. It runs in the family," the namesake of The Paul Finebaum Show said.

Finebaum does have a point with his stance, as Peyton played a full four-year stint with the Tennessee Volunteers from 1994-1997, and Eli Manning also went the distance with the Ole Miss Rebels from 2000-2003, both former SEC quarterbacks being taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 and 2004 NFL Drafts, respectively.

So, with the hype surrounding youngest of the Manning quarterbacks, who is projected to go No. 1 overall should he end up declaring for the 2026 draft, maybe an extra year in Austin can help Arch follow the Hall of Fame legacy that his uncles crafted during their careers.

Of course, there is still an entire season to play, one where Arch is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy at this point in time, and the Longhorns are heavy favorites to win the national championship. Should both of those happen with Arch at the helm, then maybe he'll make his grandfather eat his words and enter the 2026 draft after all.

And that full season begins with Manning's biggest challenge right off the bat, as the Longhorns travel to Columbus to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in a rematch of last year's College Football Playoff Semifinals that saw the Buckeyes defeat the Longhorns to advance to the national championship game, where they defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

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

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