Arch Manning doesn’t have to guess where to turn when the NFL conversation starts to creep in. He has Peyton and Eli Manning in his corner, and their message is refreshingly straightforward.
According to Manning, the advice from his famous uncles isn’t about draft slots, team fits or any of the machinery that comes with being a likely pro prospect. It’s about staying put in the moment.
“Yeah, a lot of advice,” Manning told PEOPLE. “They ultimately just told me to enjoy college right now, worry about that when the time comes, just take it day by day and try to be a good guy.”
That’s a simple script, but for a 22-year-old quarterback carrying one of football’s biggest names, it’s probably the right one. Peyton and Eli have already walked the path that looms ahead for Arch.
Peyton went No. 1 overall in the 1998 NFL Draft, won two Super Bowls and ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Eli followed as the No. 1 pick six years later and also won two Super Bowls during a 16-season career.
Arch’s own future has only drawn more attention as the 2027 NFL Draft gets closer, but his current job is still right in front of him at Texas. He became the Longhorns’ full-time starter in 2025 and guided them to a 10-3 season. Texas won seven of its final eight games, a stretch that finished with a Citrus Bowl win over Michigan.
For now, Manning doesn’t sound interested in speeding past any of it.
“Trying to make the most of it,” he said of his approach, adding, “Do whatever I can to help the team win and have a good time.”
That mindset was on display to open the 2026 season. No.
5 Texas rolled past Texas State 59-7 on Saturday in Austin, with Manning throwing for 305 yards and tying his career high with four touchdown passes. The Longhorns finished with 516 yards of offense.
Texas now turns to a bigger spotlight on Sept. 12, when Ohio State comes to town. It’s another early test for the Longhorns, and another stage for Manning.
The NFL questions will keep coming. So will the projections, the debates and all the noise that follows a Manning headed toward the next level. But Peyton and Eli’s advice cuts through all of that: enjoy college, keep it simple and handle the next step when it actually arrives.
Right now, Arch appears to be doing exactly that.
In Other News...
Arch Manning Safety Scare Puts Texas Pregame Setup Under Ohio State Spotlight
Texas pregame runout already carries the usual pageantry, but Arch Mannings entrance against Texas State added a jolt the program would have preferred not to see. During the Longhorns arrival before the game, a fan grabbed Manning and tripped him, sending the quarterback to the ground before the night settled back into football mode. He got up and played through the moment, then turned in a strong performance in the 59-7 win with 304 passing yards and four touchdowns.
Still, the incident is bound to linger as Texas prepares for a much bigger stage against Ohio State. The Longhorns want the spectacle that comes with a major home entrance, but they also need it to feel controlled and safe, especially with their quarterback at the center of so much attention. After what happened before Texas State, the setup is likely to draw a closer look before the next marquee matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Just Got An Early Playoff Claim Fans Will Want To See
ESPNs updated Football Power Index wasted no time reshuffling the early playoff picture after Week 1, and Texas ended up in a place every Longhorns fan will notice. The model ran 20,000 simulations and slotted Texas at No. 1 in its current College Football Playoff projections, with Miami next and Ohio State third in a top 12 that would define the field if the season ended now. It was a noteworthy opening-week turn, especially with Michigan sliding out of the top 12 and LSU climbing to seventh after a strong showing.
For Texas, the ranking is less a trophy than an early marker of how the national conversation is forming around the program. The real pressure comes quickly, because the next stretch will tell much more about whether that top billing holds up or just reflects an impressive first snapshot. Ohio State visits Austin next week, and it arrives as the first major test of this new order. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Soccer Just Made An Early Statement At Ranked TCU
Texas soccers trip to Fort Worth turned into the kind of early-season result that can shape a resume. The Longhorns went to Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium and beat No. 19/14 TCU, 1-0, controlling long stretches of the match and finishing with a 17-6 edge in shots. Bayliss Flynn was steady in goal with four saves, and Texas added another clean sheet to a start that has already started to look more and more composed.
Ava McDonald provided the difference in the 68th minute, giving Texas the one goal it needed against a ranked opponent on the road. It was the sort of win that carries extra weight for a program still settling in under Margueritte Bates, both because of the opponent and because of what it says about how quickly this group is starting to find its identity. [Read more 🡒]