ESPN insider shares what differentiates Arch Manning from his uncles Eli & Peyton

ESPN's college football insider Dan Wetzel believes there is one stark difference between Arch Manning and his uncles, Peyton and Eli Manning.

Manning will be the Texas Longhorns' starting quarterback in 2025 and could declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. However, there has been talk that he will stay in college for two more years.

Heading into his first season as a starting quarterback in college, Wetzel believes the key difference between Arch Manning and his uncles in Peyton and Eli Manning, is the fact that Arch is athletic and can run.

"He can run, he is very athletic. He says he got it from his mom, his dad was a wide receiver though, Cooper was a wide receiver. Arch Manning can run. He hopefully throws and can read like his uncles, but he has a different skillset than they do," Wetzel said at 3:41.

Manning was brought in for short-yardage plays at Texas last season, showing his athletic ability and running game.

Manning ran for 108 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns on 25 carries last season with the Longhorns. However, how often he will run, especially in short-yardage plays, is uncertain, given that he's the starter this year and Texas may not want to risk him getting hurt.

Steve Sarkisian hopes Arch Manning has a hard decision to make regarding his NFL future

Arch Manning could declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, but many have indicated he could return for another season.

Although Manning could very well be the top pick in 2026, it has been rumors that he wants as much experience as possible. With that, Sarkisian is hopeful that Manning has a hard decision to make regarding whether he will declare for the draft or not.

“Here’s what I hope,” Sarkisian said at the Houston Touchdown Club, via SI. “I hope he’s got a really hard decision to make on about January 21. That means we played for a long time. That means he probably had a really good season. And that means he’s probably trying to figure out do I want one more year in the burnt orange or is it time to go to the NFL? I hope it’s a really, really hard decision. I hope it’s not a no-brainer for him to come back to school.”

Manning and Texas will open their 2025 college football season on August 30 against Ohio State.