The NFL‘s wait for another Manning continues.
Arch Manning — the nephew of Eli and Peyton — is set to return to the Texas Longhorns in 2026, his father confirmed to ESPN.
“Arch is playing football at Texas next year,” Cooper Manning wrote in a text message.
Manning, 21, is eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft but will instead return to college for his redshirt junior season.
The decision was widely expected after Manning delivered an uneven performance in his first season as Texas’ full-time starter.
The dual-threat quarterback entered the year considered a Heisman Trophy contender and a candidate to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, but his need for further development became evident as he struggled during the Longhorns’ 3-2 start.
Manning’s play improved as the season progressed. He totaled 13 touchdown passes against two interceptions over Texas’ last seven games, and he led the Longhorns (9-3) to a 27-17 win over No. 3 over Texas A&M in the regular-season finale.
With the Citrus Bowl against Michigan still to go, Manning has completed 61.2% of his passes for 2,942 yards and 24 touchdowns against seven interceptions this season. He has also rushed for 244 yards and eight touchdowns.
“He’s a young man who’s gotten better as the season’s gone on, and not only physically, but mentally, maturity-wise,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said recently.
“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.”
Manning now becomes one of the top prospects in the loaded 2027 draft, which is also likely to include Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Longhorns pass rusher Colin Simmons.
That could be of particular interest to the quarterback-needy Jets, who own three first-round picks in 2027 after last month’s trade-deadline fire sale.
But the Jets also have two first-rounders in 2026, with Heisman-winning Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Oregon’s Dante Moore and Alabama’s Ty Simpson among the top QB prospects.
