Everyone wants to speculate on what Arch Manning is going to do after this season with the Texas Longhorns.
Even his grandfather, Archie. But apparently, even he doesn’t know.
Weeks ago, in an interview with Texas Monthly, Archie seemed to believe his grandson would be back in Austin next season.
“Arch isn’t going to do that,” Manning said when asked whether his grandson would declare for the 2026 draft. “He’ll be at Texas.”
On Wednesday, Arch was asked about that comment.
“Yeah, I don’t know where he got that from,” Arch said. “He text me and apologized about that. I’m really just taking it day by day right now.”
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The Longhorns quarterback has been careful not to reveal much about his future. Then again, he’s barely had much of a college career so far.
To date, Manning has appeared in 12 games over the past two seasons with only two starts. He has thrown for 969 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions, while adding 115 rushing yards and four scores.
According to ESPN, Manning enters 2025 with the best odds (+600) of winning the Heisman Trophy, fueled as much by the hype as his talent.
“The narrative of Arch becoming the first Manning to win the Heisman Trophy is also media gold. Add in a relatively open field, and it’s easy to understand why the public wants this ticket,” ESPN’s Pamela Maldonado wrote.
Even if Manning were to win the Heisman this year or lead Texas to a national title, there’s still a strong chance he returns. That would leave him with just 16 potential career starts, a pedigree that might not be considered enough experience to enter the NFL.
Perhaps that will be discussed more between Arch and his grandfather on future phone calls.
The Longhorns quarterback said Archie always ends those conversations the same way: “Get down or get out of bounds.”