Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning decided on Dec. 15 to return to Austin for the 2026 college football season. While Manning appears to want another season to prepare for the NFL, one analyst believes that if the Longhorns signal caller desired to leave for the pros this year, he’d go No. 1 overall.
Manning had a passer rating of 144.9 with 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 13 games this past season (h/t StatMuse), which was his first as the Texas starting QB.
Despite only one year of experience as a starter, ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky stated that if Manning were in the 2026 draft, the Las Vegas Raiders would be picking him first overall.
“The pick would already be made,” Orlovsky said on the Jan. 8 edition of “Get Up.” “The Las Vegas Raiders would have no chance of passing on him. They would have to make the pick. One, he’s 6-foot-4, 225 pounds. He’s an unbelievable athlete. I think in the Michigan game, he ran at like 21 miles per hour, which is absurd.
“[Manning is] only gotten better; he’s very strong-armed; he’s unbelievably athletic. He’s really smart; he’s getting trained the right way. He’s wired the right way; he’s been knocked down and picked I think he’s an ultra-competitive young man. It would not even be close. He would already be selected as the No. 1 pick.”
Texas QB Arch Manning Praised for Returning to School
Even though Orlovsky believes that Longhorns star could be the top player picked in this year’s draft, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said Manning stands to benefit from one more year in college.
“He’s a young man who’s gotten better as the season’s gone on, and not only physically, but mentally, maturity-wise,“ Sarkisian said (h/t ESPN). “I would think he’s going to want another year of that growth to put himself in position for hopefully a long career in the NFL. And he’s got some unfinished business of what he came here to do and what he came here to accomplish.
“We had a really good football season. We left some meat on the bone with an opportunity to be SEC champs, national champs, and so ultimately for him, I think the competitor in him is going to say, ‘Man, I sure would like another crack at trying to do those things.’“
Michigan Impressed With Arch Manning
Manning went off against the Michigan Wolverines in the 2025 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31 at Camping World Stadium. He completed 21 of 35 passes for 221 passing yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, the Texas star had nine carries for 155 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Moreover, Michigan was left impressed with what they saw from the Texas QB.
“He’s an exceptional player,“ Michigan interim head coach Biff Poggi told reporters postgame (h/t Eric C. Henry of Horns247). “I mean, he made some throws that I thought were like, wow. Then, of course, I had no idea he was… You look at him on the field, he’s big and strong, but I had no idea he was as athletic as he is. He’s a force to be reckoned.”
Additionally, Wolverines linebacker Jimmy Rolder was also taken aback by how good Manning is, especially with his legs, which he used to torment the Michigan defense.
“He’s a dangerous [and] can make every throw,“ Rolder added. “Again, throws it nice [and is] sneaky fast. But yeah, it’s pretty much it.”
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