The Texas Longhorns didn’t have the season they were hoping for behind the elastic arm and dynamic running ability of quarterback Arch Manning, the nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, in his first season as the Longhorns’ full-time starter. Arch’s struggles were glaring in the first half of the season, and although he improved as the campaign went on, the Longhorns finished 9-3 in the regular season, failing to make the final field for the College Football Playoff.

Manning’s season served as a shocking wake-up call, after he was what felt like unanimously proclaimed as a “can’t miss” prospect and touted as the top quarterback in the 2026 draft class, were he to declare early for the NFL draft by expert Mel Kiper Jr.

“We put him at No. 1 because we have to. It’s Arch Manning. We saw glimpses last year of the greatness he could provide that Texas offense. Running the football, he’s got great legs. Cooper Manning, his father, was a wide receiver until he got injured. So he’s got speed – something Eli and Peyton didn’t have…” Kiper opined.

To the surprise of most of the country, Manning’s play did not live up to the billing. However, FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano recently revealed that a scout still has Manning at the top of the class.

“He might still go No. 1 [overall],” one college scout told Vacchiano. “All the tools are there, even if the performance was erratic. He might need a little time to grow into himself as a player. But he’s got the size (6-foot-4, 219 pounds), the arm, the intangibles, and the kid had some great games.

“I think I’d still feel better about his future than anyone else in this year’s class.”

He wasn’t the only one still holding Manning in high regard, either.

“Talent,” one NFC executive said. “He never lost that. It’s what all the hype was about from the beginning, and it’s still there. It’s not alarming that he was inconsistent in his first year as a starter in the SEC. It’s perfectly normal. The expectations were probably way too high, anyway.

“But his arm, his head, his feet, his overall ability. I can still see every bit of it.”

“There was obvious improvement as the season went along,” a scout for an AF team said. “It wasn’t always easy to tell because his offensive line was shaky, and they had trouble running the ball. But you could tell he doesn’t panic. His ball placement was off at times, but not a lot. And that improved, too.”

“If you forget what you expected at the beginning of the season, you’ll see a really good prospect,” another scout told Vacchiano. “I’m sure some are disappointed. But you’ll only feel that way if you’re measuring him against what you thought he was supposed to be.”

While Manning clearly didn’t hurt his draft stock as much as some fans may have thought, his decision on whether to declare has already been made, per his grandfather, Archie.

“He’ll be at Texas’ for 2026. He’ll have to yell that at the top of his lungs all season to get the mock drafts to stop including Arch,” Archie said before the 2025 season.

It’ll be interesting to see if Arch decides to change his mind at the last moment, considering the way he’s viewed by those around the NFL.