Arch Manning

The Player

Manning is in his fourth season at Texas and second as the full-time starter. In 2025, he completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while adding 399 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground. The son of Cooper Manning, Arch is the grandson of Archie Manning and nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning.

The biggest takeaway from 2025 was the growth in Manning’s confidence and command. Early in the season, the game moved too quickly for him. He pressed, rushed his process, and appeared rattled against Ohio State. But beginning with Oklahoma, he settled down and played with greater conviction. During a four-game winning streak against ranked SEC opponents, including two top-10 teams, Manning threw seven touchdowns and just one interception. His competitiveness was undeniable, and he increasingly developed an “over my dead body” mentality late in games.

Manning still needs more consistency with his eyes, feet, and overall process. When his eyes are late or uncertain, his footwork can be shaky, causing his delivery to become rushed and disconnected. His mechanics can look clean and effortless on one snap and completely different on the next.

The arm talent is NFL-caliber. Manning doesn’t possess elite velocity, but he has more than enough juice to drive the football vertically, attack outside the numbers, and rip throws into tight windows. He can also generate impressive velocity without being perfectly set and has flashed some excellent throws on the move. The bigger issue is that his inconsistent base and delivery can prevent the arm talent from showing up.

Ball placement remains his biggest concern. Manning has stretches of excellent timing and accuracy, but there are still too many routine misses. He’ll overthrow receivers, miss behind them, and occasionally lose his feel for placement. Some of it is footwork and timing, while some throws simply lack conviction. He also needs to eliminate the hero-ball decisions. When things go sideways, he tends to press and force throws rather than trusting the structure and taking what’s available.

In fairness, not all of the passing game issues were on Manning. Texas had drops, incorrect routes, and apparent communication problems, particularly with Ryan Wingo. The Longhorns also leaned heavily on the running game at times, making it difficult for Manning to establish a rhythm. Still, when opportunities are there, he needs to become more consistently precise.

His athleticism is a legitimate tool. Manning is big, strong, and much faster than many realize, with impressive acceleration and a second gear once he takes off. He can break tackles, elude defenders, and turn scrambles into explosive plays, and he possesses the toughness to absorb contact in the pocket. His legs were the most consistently dangerous part of his game in 2025, especially when he struggled as a passer.

The Projection

There’s plenty for NFL decision-makers to get excited about: size, arm talent, athleticism, toughness, competitiveness, and flashes of high-end quarterback play. But Manning is still developing as a passer. The next step is slowing the game down mentally and consistently marrying his eyes, feet, and delivery. If he does that, his natural talent will give him a chance to make a major jump in 2026 and become QB1 in the 2027 draft class.