Quarterback Arch Manning threw simply 95 passes in his first two seasons with the Texas Longhorns however is already billed as a possible No. 1 decide.
As of Tuesday, FanDuel Sportsbook gives Manning (+230) one of the best odds to go No. 1 total within the 2026 NFL Draft, forward of LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier (+360).
At SEC media days in Atlanta, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian did not say he expects Manning to enter the draft however did not rule out the chance.
“I simply need the man to have a very good season this yr, and we’ll cross that bridge when he involves it,” the coach stated Tuesday, by way of ESPN’s Pete Thamel. “I hope he has a very exhausting choice to make as a result of meaning he is performed actually good.”
ESPN’s Jordan Reid does not anticipate the 21-year-old QB declaring for the draft, scheduled April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
“He can be beneath the tutelage of one of many nation’s greatest QB builders in Steve Sarkisian, however Manning’s lack of expertise makes him extra prone to be within the 2027 draft class on the earliest,” wrote Reid in his preseason scouting report for QBs.
Historical past additionally suggests Manning (6-foot-4, 225 kilos) ought to keep at school, even when he thrives in his first season as a full-time starter.
Former North Carolina Tar Heels QB Mitchell Trubisky declared for the 2017 draft after throwing 30 landing passes in 13 video games in a single season because the Tar Heels beginning QB. That hasn’t labored out.
Trubisky — who the Chicago Bears chosen No. 2 total — went 29-21 within the common season in 4 seasons with the crew however posted a below-average 87.2 passer score. After going 2-5 in two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he has since served as a backup for Buffalo Payments QB Josh Allen.
Groups could also be prepared to disregard that, nevertheless, due to Manning’s pedigree. His uncles, former NFL QBs Peyton and Eli Manning, mixed for 4 Tremendous Bowl victories throughout their careers. Moreover, the New Orleans Saints chosen his grandfather, ex-Ole Miss Rebels QB Archie Manning, with the No. 2 decide within the 1971 draft.
Arch Manning and Co. face the Ohio State Buckeyes on the street in Week 1 on Aug. 30. If the Longhorns beat the defending nationwide champions, that might show the hype is warranted, sparking extra debates about whether or not the QB can be pro-ready after one yr of school.
