NFL scouts expect Texas' Arch Manning to skip 2026 NFL Draft, despite shot at No. 1 overall pick

Texas football is poised to be one of the top teams in college football once again. This season, the team will be led by Arch Manning rather than Quinn Ewers, who declared for the NFL Draft and was selected by the Miami Dolphins. Manning has accomplished something rare in today’s era of college sports.

Despite being the second-string quarterback for his first two seasons, Manning chose to stay at Texas. Now, he will take full control of the offense, and there’s no doubt he’ll have plenty of talent around him.

“Former Cal TE Jack Endries has signed with Texas, per an ESPN source. He was Cal’s leading receiver last year and considered a top portal tight end. This position was a need for Texas, and they’ve addressed it with a productive veteran,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel wrote.

Adding a tight end for Manning was significant, but the Longhorns didn’t stop there—they also added more depth at wide receiver with the commitment of Emmett Mosley V.

“He'll give new Texas starting quarterback Arch Manning another proven playmaker in a passing attack that must replace Matthew Golden, Gunnar Helm, Isaiah Bond and Silas Bolden,” Max Olson wrote.

Many believe Manning will only start for Texas for one season, as he's currently projected to be the first overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft. However, NFL scouts who have visited Austin suggest otherwise.

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“The word from people that have been down there visiting Texas for scouting visits has been that they expect Arch to be there for two more seasons," Field Yates said. "Will that prevail? We'll see, but that has been the sentiment that scouts have been gathering when they spend time around the Texas program this past season."

If Manning remains on campus for an extra year, it would be a major boost for both his development and the program—but only time will tell.