Just a few days ago, legendary quarterback Archie Manning shared that his grandson, Arch Manning, would still be playing for the Texas Longhorns in 2026.
"Arch isn’t going to do that. He’ll be at Texas," the elder Manning said when asked about whether or not the young quarterback would declare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Now, Manning, who is finally the starting quarterback for the Horns, said that he's not really sure where his grandfather got that intel...
“Yeah, I don’t know where he got that from. He texted me and apologized about that," the younger Manning shared. "I’m really just taking it day by day right now.”
Throughout his three-year tenure with the Longhorns, Manning has repeatedly said that he's not looking too far into the future and that he has done his best to stay present. Archie's prediction (or flat-out statement) that Arch would remain at Texas put a lot of fans at ease.
Now, with just a few sentences, Arch has erased the peace and calm that Texas fans had finally found regarding the future of their offensive unit.
Here we go… https://t.co/yo7lhgrFlN
— They Calling Us “New Bama” (@Doc_Texas) August 19, 2025
For the last two seasons, fans have been patiently waiting for the "Arch Manning Era" to officially begin in Austin, following a two-year stretch where he played backup to former Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.
Now that the era has officially begun, all Longhorn fans can hope for is that it lasts for longer than just one season.
Over the last two years, Manning amassed 969 passing yards for nine touchdowns while playing QB2 for the Horns. During his redshirt freshman season, he more than doubled his QBR, moving it from 90.4 to a resounding 184.0.
Manning is the dual-threat quarterback that Texas has been waiting for ever since Vince Young led the team to a National Championship before moving on to the league. Last year, Manning ran for 108 yards and four touchdowns on just 25 carries, a massive improvement from the running struggles that Texas experienced with Ewers holding the reins.
The Horns and Manning are set to kick off their 2025 campaign with a big-time matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes, who defeated Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinals last season.
Texas and Ohio State are scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Aug. 30. The game will be broadcast on FOX, following Lee Corso's last-ever appearance on ESPN's College GameDay.