"It’d be hard to see him stay in college": Analyst shares what could push Arch Manning to 2026 NFL Draft despite Archie Manning’s statement

Despite rumors that Texas quarterback Arch Manning could contend to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, his grandfather, Archie Manning, spoke this week about how he will not declare for the draft. This news came as a shock, as most pundits had predicted him to declare after one season as the Texas starter.

On Friday morning, the Yahoo Sports Instagram account posted a clip discussing why Manning could pass on the 2026 NFL draft:

"Arch Manning's next move could reshape college football and the NFL. Here's why. Recently, Arch's grandfather, Archie Manning, said that his grandson is actually not going to declare for the NFL draft next year like everyone thinks. He's going to stay at Texas and he's gonna play two more years.

"Now this would, of course, drastically alter the plans of any NFL GM preparing a 'Be Awful for Arch' tanking strategy in an attempt to land the next generation of Manning. But why would Arch Manning stay at Texas if he's the presumed No. 1 pick in the draft?"

The analyst then continued to discuss why Arch Manning would decide to stay in college for two more years.

"Well, despite being the preseason Heisman favorite, Arch is entering his third season in Austin and he's thrown fewer than 100 passes for fewer than 1000 yards.

"Perhaps another of development under a coach with NFL pedigree like Steve Sarkisian could be a significant benefit to Manning's NFL future. Plus, Peyton and Eli both played all four seasons in college and both were No. 1 picks."

While the Yahoo analyst laid out the reasons Manning could return to Texas also explained why that might happen. He said that if the Longhorns have a strong season and win a national championship, he might not have a reason to return to college, despite what his grandfather said.

Arch Manning will be put to the test in his first start this season

While many analysts are confident that Arch Manning will be a star in his first season as a starter this year, he still does not have experience against top teams. That will change in the first game of the season against the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes.

How Manning performs in the Longhorns' first game of the season on Aug. 30 against Ohio State will have a significant impact on fans' view of Manning as a quarterback. If he performs well, he will remain in the Heisman conversation. If not, many might start to believe he was getting too much hype too soon.