Arch Manning's grandad Archie Manning breaks silence on Texas QB's 2026 NFL draft rumors with a stern message

Arch Manning is heading into his first season as the starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns. While Manning has not indicated that he will enter the 2026 NFL draft if he has a strong season, many fans and analysts believe that is the case.

One person who does not buy into the rumors is Arch's grandfather, Archie Manning. When asked by S.C. Gwynne of Texas Monthly if leaving for the NFL next season is a possibility, Archie had a short and blunt response:

"Arch isn’t going to do that. He’ll be at Texas."

It would fit the family mold if Archie Manning is right about his grandson. The Mannings have a long history of great quarterbacks, including two of Arch's uncles, Peyton and Eli Manning.

Both were No. 1 picks in their respective drafts, but neither was in a rush to make it to the NFL. Peyton Manning played four years at Tennessee before entering the 1998 NFL draft and Eli Manning played four years at Ole Miss before entering the 2004 NFL draft.

Arch Manning 2026 NFL draft rumors: Where is Manning projected to be drafted?

Manning is receiving a level of hype that is uncommon, even among top prospects. Some of that can be attributed to his last name, but his play on the field is also a factor. Manning performed well in relief of Quinn Ewers last season when the latter was injured.

Many believe that he will be successful this season and quickly emerge as one of the top QBs in the nation. Pro Football Focus has him listed as the No. 4-ranked player in the 2026 NFL draft class and No. 1-ranked quarterback. With QBs usually going first in the draft, there is a decent chance he would be the No. 1 pick.

One factor that could impact Manning's NFL draft decision is whether he wins the Heisman Trophy. Heading into the season, he is one of the favorites.

About the author

Alexander O'Reilly is a journalist at Sportskeeda from Kingston, Ontario with over seven years in the field at companies including SenShot, RVBlogger, Monarch Media, WordAgents, GSeC LLC, and IGC.

His favorite college team is Duke, and his favorite sporting memory was Duke winning March Madness in 2010. JJ Redick was Alex's favorite college player when he was young but more recently, Caleb Williams gets the nod. As the Chicago Bears are Alex's favorite NFL team, this was a perfect match.

Alex's proudest moment came when he was interviewed by a radio station in Ottawa on his opinion on recent moves by the Ottawa Senators, which gave him a confidence boost and the knowledge that he could succeed as a writer.

Aside from sports, Alex likes to spend his time playing games. He is also very passionate about running and strives to improve at the half and full marathon distances.

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Edited by Alexander O'Reilly