Nearly two weeks after Archie Manning made headlines for comments about his grandson, Arch, not declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft and instead staying at Texas next year, Arch Manning spent part of his media availability on Tuesday afternoon at Texas answering a question that only he could get. Was grandpa right about that?
“Yeah, I don’t know where he got that from,” Arch said with a smirk. “He texted me and apologized about that. I’m really just taking it day by day right now.”
#Texas QB Arch Manning asked about Archie Manning’s comments about Arch for sure being at Texas for two years. @ontexasfootball pic.twitter.com/p1b8Rc9CXu
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) August 19, 2025
Archie, the patriarch of the Manning family, told Texas Monthly magazine earlier this month that although he hadn’t talked to Arch about the decision, he felt confident that Arch wouldn’t declare for the draft after this season and would instead be with the Longhorns again in 2026. His comments came just weeks before Arch is set to take over the Longhorns’ starting quarterback job and lead No. 1 Texas into No. 3 Ohio State in a blockbuster season opener on Aug. 30.
Arch played things more coy on Tuesday, though, leaving the door open for however things may shake out. While Archie’s comments didn’t come as a surprise to many who assumed that was the plan all along for Arch, who made the rare decision in this era of college football to wait his turn behind Quinn Ewers for two seasons, it’s also possible that if Texas wins a national championship and Arch plays up to the hype swirling around him, he’d be among the most coveted quarterbacks in the draft class. If the situation were right, perhaps he’d go.
Regardless, Arch enters the 2025 season as the most intriguing player in the country as he looks to prove he can match the expectations around him. He has made just two starts to date and has thrown for 969 career yards with nine touchdowns against two interceptions in 12 career games. He is already the favorite for the Heisman Trophy despite playing just 120 snaps, a sentiment he balked at last month during SEC Media Days. That external belief in him was “nice to say,” Manning told reporters, but “talk is cheap.”
Next week should be the beginning of providing some answers when the Longhorns march into Ohio State for a date with the defending national champs, and Manning is immediately thrust into a pressure cooker of a situation. It’s an early litmus test for the redshirt sophomore, who feels ready for the challenge.
“That’s why you come to a school like Texas — to play in big-time games,” Arch told The Athletic last month. “So why not knock it out early? See what we’re all about.”
(Photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)