Though it may seem like the 2025 NFL draft was just yesterday, the 2026 selection process is already top of mind for many a pundit and scout. And where this year's crop of candidates was knocked for its purportedly weak group of quarterback prospects, that is decidedly not the case with 2026, for which Texas QB1 Arch Manning is the current frontrunner for No. 1 pick.
But that's only if he declares for the draft after the 2025 season, of course. And it's possible he doesn't. For starters, he's had just two starts across his two-year career with the Longhorns, memorable as they were. And of course, both of his uncles, Peyton and Eli, remained at their respective college programs for a full four years, which might offer speculators some insight into the advice he could be receiving from his inner circle.
As of early August, it would seem the tide is leaning toward Manning staying at Texas for another two seasons and entering the NFL in 2027. And although they're not as definitive as a commitment from the QB himself, recent comments from his grandfather, Archie Manning, appear to support that thesis.
Speaking in a piece for Texas Monthly, the Manning patriarch said that, while he hasn't discussed it with Arch, he knows his grandson well enough to know what he will do.
“Arch isn't going to do that," Archie told S. C. Gwynne, referring to the possibility of his grandson entering the 2026 draft. "He'll be at Texas."
So there you have it. In the absence of a direct quote from Arch, this take from the QB's grandfather is perhaps the clearest clue we can get.
The Longhorns and their highly-anticipated QB1 will kick off their season with a high stakes match-up vs. the defending Ohio State Buckeyes on Aug. 30.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arch Manning's Grandpa Offers Perhaps the Clearest Clue Yet As to QB's 2026 Plans.
