NFL executives & scouts make eye-catching prediction about Arch Manning’s future amid growing uncertainties

Texas quarterback Arch Manning is one of the most hyped QBs in recent years. While he has not started a full college season yet, he is already projected by many scouts and experts to be the first pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Many hold this belief despite the fact that 2026 is expected to have a strong QB class featuring Manning, Cade Klubnik, Garrett Nussmeier, and Drew Allar.

However, analyst Jeff Howe from 'The Athletic' is going against the grain in his prediction. After speaking with several NFL scouts and executives, Howe wrote this about Manning:

"Manning will be the crown jewel if he declares, and the pre-draft hype around him will be comparable to recent top prospects like Trevor Lawrence and Caleb Williams. Teams are skeptical Manning will declare, though, as they wonder if he'll play out his eligibility like uncles Peyton and Eli Manning."

"The Athletic spoke to five executives and scouts for this story, with all leaning in the direction of predicting Arch Manning would return to school in 2026. Manning has the obvious pedigree and off-field intangibles; he's also got ideal size, accuracy to layer the ball all around the field, decision-making ability, speed and running power."

Howe finished by saying that there is plenty of time for Manning to improve his arm strength.

"There's some question over his throwing power, but it's not viewed as a concern if he continues to anticipate at such a high level. There's also plenty of time to improve his arm strength."

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While most people expect Manning to be the top pick in 2026, it would not be shocking if he returns to school for another season. He has only started two career games before this upcoming season, so if he starts slower than expected, he could return for another season before declaring for the 2027 NFL draft.

Arch Manning is one of the Heisman Trophy favorites heading into next season

While there are some NFL executives and scouts who have doubts about whether Manning will be ready for the 2026 NFL draft, sportsbooks do not have similar doubts. Heading into the 2025 season, Arch Manning is a co-favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

According to FanDuel, Arch Manning is tied with LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier as the co-favorite to win the Heisman with +800 odds. They narrowly edge out Clemson QB Cade Klubnik with +900 odds.

If Manning wins the Heisman, it would be surprising if he decides to return to college.

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 Prem Deshpande