In another world, Texas’ 2024 starting quarterback, Quinn Ewers, might have returned to Austin for another year to burnish his resume ahead of the NFL Draft. But in this world, the Longhorns were already looking to a future that didn’t involve the QB.
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The Longhorns brought in the scion of the Manning quarterback family, Arch Manning, in 2023. He saw limited action the next year and showed flashes of brilliance. That was enough to convince the program to end the Ewers era and begin the Manning years.
Manning is entering his first season as a starter in 2025, but NFL teams and fans are already licking their chops and making plans to tank for the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The scuttlebutt has always been that the 2026 class would dwarf the 2025 edition in terms of quarterback quality and depth. However, those teams might want to re-evaluate their strategies — though at this point, it’s probably too late for most.
As Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer explained during a guest spot on the Rich Eisen Show, all signs actually point to Manning spending a lot longer at Texas than most are expecting right now.
“I think we would be ignoring the family history if we assumed he was gonna be in the 2026 Draft… For one thing, I think that the idea of making that leap and saying that he’s gonna be the number one pick, I think it’s too big a leap for NFL teams to make right now,” said the analyst.
“They see a big, talented kid, and he’s a Manning. But I think what a lot of fans have done is, I think they see that big … 67-yard touchdown run, and they were like, ‘oh my god, this is Peyton and Eli with wheels!’ Do we really know that it’s gonna be Peyton and Eli though?”
While there is already immense excitement surrounding Arch Manning, he has only started two games in his short college football career so far. He still has a long way to go in terms of development, both physically and mentally.
As Breer noted, the Mannings as a family have never declared early. This is despite the fact that both Eli and Peyton Manning would have been top picks had they entered the draft the year before they ultimately declared.
“Eli Manning could’ve been a first round pick in 2003, he came back for a fifth year at Ole Miss… Peyton Manning could’ve been the number one overall pick in ’97 to the Jets, instead he decides to go back and he’s the number one overall pick in ’98 to the Colts,” added Breer.
“The family history tells us that these guys aren’t gonna rush from college. The way Cooper has handled Arch over the years. The guy had to create a Twitter account to announce he was committing to Texas. He did not have social media until that point of high school.”
Breer also pointed out that the threshold for success in the NFL is generally around 25 college starts. It’s very rare to see a quarterback go one-and-done in college like a top basketball talent might at Kentucky or Duke — there’s simply too much to learn and experience at the most important position in sports.
If Manning does forego the draft this year, teams can still vie for the likes of Drew Allar, Nico Iamaleava, Carson Beck, Cade Klubnik, and more.
A few teams seem to have pushed their QB decision to 2026. Teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns, and the Los Angeles Rams, among others. These franchises are likely to be extremely disappointed if Manning balls out in 2025 but decides to stay at Texas. That seems like a very real possibility, however.
