What if Arch Manning goes undrafted? Ex-Texas HC exposed Steve Sarkisian’s secret weapon for draft-snubbed Longhorns

Arch Manning entered the 2025 season as a Heisman contender, but early inconsistencies knocked him out of the race before he rebounded late to finish strong. That late surge has once again pushed him into the Heisman favorite discussion heading into 2026.

If Manning builds on that momentum, he could easily position himself as the potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. But even if his draft stock were to slip, Steve Sarkisian’s track record shows he will still be in good hands.

On his “The Stempede” podcast, former Texas head coach Mack Brown spoke on how Sarkisian and his staff have consistently helped Longhorns find NFL homes, even when they weren’t drafted.

"As a head coach, you either put emphasis on your guys getting with a team or you don't,” Brown said. “It's obvious that Sark has relationships with the NFL because he has a lot of players. It's unbelievable to have seven free agents. You had to work at that. And those guys - about the fifth round, those agents and scouts start talking to each other about who's going to be a free agent.

“A lot of guys would rather be a free agent so they can go where they want than be a seventh-round pick at a team they don't want to go to. But give Sark credit…And I'm so impressed that Sark does that because this many guys wouldn't have been on teams without that Texas staff working the draft on the phone saying, 'You got to get my guy.'"

.@CoachMackBrown credits Steve Sarkisian and his staff for the number of Longhorns who signed with NFL teams after going undrafted. That's how you take care of your players. #hookem pic.twitter.com/n814UFte1I

Sarkisian’s draft results reflect that influence, as six Texas players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, including Anthony Hill Jr. in the second round. However, Brown specifically praised the fact that seven additional Longhorns secured priority undrafted free agent deals, among them Ethan Burke and Jaylon Guilbeau.

Meanwhile, Manning remains at the center of a loaded quarterback class featuring Oregon’s Dante Moore and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin. Even if he isn’t the first quarterback taken, the NFL teams' placement of elite quarterback talent means his draft floor remains high, and scouts rarely allow his athletic upside to fall beyond the early rounds.

Given that, the idea of Manning going undrafted seems extremely unlikely. Besides that, Sarkisian’s program continues to shape him in a system designed to prepare quarterbacks for NFL-level responsibility and decision-making.

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