Arch Manning is preparing for his first full season as a starting quarterback, but NFL Draft analysts are already intrigued by his potential to be a top pick in 2026.
On Friday morning, ESPN’s Jordan Reid published a story taking an early look at 2026 NFL quarterback prospects. He identified improvement areas for every quarterback on the list, including Manning. Here’s Reid’s analysis on where Manning needs to get better:
Manning has only 95 career passing attempts, so his sample size is small and more development is necessary. He had a habit of sticking to his primary read too long in his starts, leading to poor decision-making. He will need to improve his timing in getting through progressions and knowing when to move off his first read. He could also use his mobility much more on non-designed QB runs to help string together positive plays. He’ll be tested on these things early, as the Longhorns start the season at defending national champion Ohio State.
Last season, Manning completed 67.8% of his passes for 939 yards, 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Most of that production came in spot starts against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State while starter Quinn Ewers was injured.
Reid was also effective on designed runs in the red zone. He carried the ball a total of 25 times for 108 yards and 4 touchdowns. Manning’s mobility should give the Texas offense an extra dimension it didn’t have with Ewers under center.
Texas will travel to Columbus to take on Ohio State on Aug. 30.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
