Arch Manning Returning to Texas in 2026: A Season of Growth, Grit, and Gritty Comebacks
Arch Manning is coming back to Austin.
The redshirt sophomore quarterback, who’s accounted for 33 total touchdowns against just seven interceptions heading into Texas’ Citrus Bowl clash with Michigan on December 31, will return to the Longhorns for the 2026 season. While he’s eligible for the NFL Draft, Manning isn’t ready to make that leap just yet - and it’s not because of a lack of talent.
It’s about development. It’s about trust.
And it’s about finishing what he started under head coach and play-caller Steve Sarkisian.
At 6-foot-4 and 219 pounds, Manning has made just 14 collegiate starts, but those starts have been enough to show flashes of why his name carries so much weight - and why he’s not done building his own legacy.
“I’m forever grateful for him,” Manning said of Sarkisian, after handing over a game ball following Texas’ 27-17 win over then-No. 3 Texas A&M.
“When I wasn’t playing well, I was missing throws and probably making his play calls look bad, he could’ve thrown me under the bus, but he never did. He always uplifted me.”
That mutual respect - between coach and quarterback - is at the heart of Manning’s return. Sarkisian, when asked recently if he expected Manning back in 2026, grinned and said, “I haven’t asked him.
Maybe I should. I feel pretty good about it.”
Now, it’s official.
A Finish with Firepower
Texas enters the Citrus Bowl with a 9-3 record, set to face a 9-3 Michigan squad in Orlando. But it’s the way Manning has played down the stretch that should have Longhorn fans fired up for what’s coming next.
Over the last five games - against Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Arkansas, and Texas A&M - Manning has looked like a quarterback hitting his stride. He’s accounted for 16 touchdowns and just two turnovers in that stretch. He’s completed 62.4% of his passes (113-of-181) for 1,493 yards and 12 touchdowns, rushed for three more (including a 35-yard score against A&M), and even caught a touchdown pass against Arkansas.
That’s not just solid quarterback play - that’s leadership under pressure, creativity in the red zone, and a growing command of Sarkisian’s offense.
Full Season Snapshot
Through 12 games, Manning’s stat line reflects a quarterback who’s grown through adversity and come out stronger for it: 227-of-370 passing (61.4%) for 2,942 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He’s also added 244 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, plus that one receiving score.
But numbers only tell part of the story.
The Weight of the Name, and the Expectations That Follow
Heading into the 2025 season, Manning was already carrying the kind of expectations most quarterbacks don’t face until they’re hoisting trophies. Despite having just two career starts, he was the Heisman favorite in the eyes of oddsmakers. That’s what happens when your last name is Manning and you flash elite-level talent in limited reps.
But inside the program, there was a different understanding of where this team stood.
“It’s a very young team,” said Arch’s father, Cooper Manning, before the season. “You’ve got 10 guys on offense - 10 major contributors - they’re gone. Four offensive linemen, two tight ends, two receivers, a running back, and a quarterback.”
That kind of roster turnover meant Manning was stepping into a leadership role on a team still figuring itself out. The preseason No. 1 ranking? Probably more about the helmet logo than the reality on the field.
The Rocky Start
Manning’s season didn’t begin with fireworks - more like growing pains. In a 14-7 loss at then-No.
3 Ohio State, he missed wide-open receivers on one drive and dropped dimes on the next. Inconsistent?
Sure. But also a young quarterback learning on the fly against elite competition.
Things didn’t get easier in Week 2. In a 27-10 win over UTEP, Manning missed on 10 straight passes at one point, drawing boos from the home crowd.
“I was playing like garbage,” Manning admitted later.
But where some quarterbacks might have folded, Manning dug in.
Grit Over Glamour
In a physical 29-21 loss at Florida, Manning took six sacks and a dozen more hits. He never left the game. More importantly, he didn’t miss a single snap of practice the following week as Texas prepared for rival Oklahoma.
That week, a national headline labeled him “college football’s first flop.” Manning didn’t respond with words - he answered with performance.
In a 23-6 upset of the sixth-ranked Sooners, he completed 21-of-27 passes. Efficient.
Poised. Unbothered.
“That’s a guy I want to lay my life on the line for every down,” said left tackle Trevor Goosby. “Go all the way back to the Florida game when he was just getting beat up.
It was our fault… and he doesn’t miss a snap of practice. That just kind of shows his character.”
Safety Michael Taaffe, a fifth-year senior and one of Manning’s closest friends on the team, put it plainly:
“I think he’s the most hated-on person in all of college football, and he doesn’t even care. He just cares about winning, and he cares about his teammates.”
The Comeback King
If there was a signature moment for Manning this season, it came at Mississippi State. Down 17 points with just over 10 minutes to play, he led Texas all the way back and forced overtime. He didn’t finish the game - a concussion on the first play of OT sent him to the medical tent - but his fingerprints were all over that 45-38 win.
The following week, he was back on the field and back in rhythm, torching Vanderbilt for 328 yards and three touchdowns on 25-of-33 passing (75.8%) in a 34-31 win.
Still Climbing
Sarkisian has seen the growth firsthand.
“We’re going to benefit from the journey that he had to go on,” Sark said. “He can learn how to overcome some of the adversity that he was faced with… He’s still going to improve. He’s still going to get better, but I’m very proud of him.”
And Manning? He’s not shying away from the spotlight - he’s embracing it.
“I think every quarterback in the country, every player in the country, has to have that confidence in themselves that they’re the best player on the field,” he said. “And I’m gonna continue to have that as long as I play the sport. That’ll never change.”
Looking Ahead
With a full season of hard-earned experience under his belt, Manning will enter 2026 not just as a quarterback with a famous last name, but as a proven leader - one who’s taken hits, endured criticism, and battled through adversity to keep Texas in the national conversation.
The journey hasn’t been perfect. But it’s been real. And it’s far from over.