Michael Taaffe uses the Senior Bowl to continue his campaign for Arch Manning

As Michael Taaffe and Malik Muhammad go through their week at the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl, the two former Longhorns haven't forgotten their roots in Austin.

The pair of defensive backs is looking to boost their own stock ahead of the NFL Draft, but when asked about their collegiate careers, they didn't shy away from hyping up their former teammates right alongside themselves.

Taaffe, an Austin native, always dreamed of winning a National Championship with the Horns, but fell short of making that a reality during his five seasons with Texas.

When asked about the legacy left behind, of course, he mentioned missing out on the title, but he also propped up a fellow No. 16 who is still suiting up for the Texas Longhorns.

Michael Taaffe thinks Arch Manning can lead Texas to a championship

"I hate that I couldn't go get the job done," Taaffe said. "But the other 16, I have a good feeling in him."

Taaffe, of course, is referring to his own jersey number from his days at Texas, which he shared with Longhorn quarterback Arch Manning, who wore No. 16 on the offensive side of the ball.

While Manning is a couple of years younger than Taaffe, the two formed a close bond during their shared years on the 40 Acres. Wearing the same number and consistently walking into Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium at the same time kind of made that inevitable.

Obviously, Taaffe is focused on his own future and his hopeful NFL career this week as he goes through practice sessions leading up to the Senior Bowl itself. However, it shouldn't be surprising that he used his spotlight to hype up his alma mater.

The Senior Bowl takes place in Mobile, AL, every year. This winter, it is scheduled to kick off at 1:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Jan. 31, and will be available to viewers on the NFL Network.