Arch Manning’s place on Sports Illustrated’s latest list says plenty about where the Texas quarterback stands heading into 2026.
He checked in at No. 17 on the magazine’s ranking of the 25 college football players with the most to prove and gain next season. That’s a solid spot, but it also lands a little lower than some might expect for a player who entered Texas with Heisman-level buzz before he had even finished a full year as the starter.
Seven quarterbacks were ranked ahead of Manning, a group that included Trinidad Chambliss, Julian Sayin, CJ Carr, Dante Moore, Darian Mensah and Demond Williams Jr.
That placement comes after a 2025 season that started rough and ended with Manning looking like a different quarterback. Through Texas’ first five games, he threw five interceptions and the Longhorns took two losses, and the early stretch raised obvious questions about whether the hype had outpaced his development.
Then Texas found its rhythm, and Manning went with it.
The Red River Rivalry win over Oklahoma flipped the tone of his season, and the Longhorns closed with a 7-1 run over their final eight games. During that stretch, Manning threw 15 touchdown passes against only two interceptions and added five rushing scores. He capped the year with one of his best outings in the Citrus Bowl, piling up 373 total yards and four combined touchdowns in a win over Michigan.
Texas is giving him more help for 2026, too. Former Auburn receiver Cam Coleman, who landed at No. 15 on Sports Illustrated’s list, joins the offense after posting 56 catches for 708 yards as a sophomore in a shaky Auburn attack.
With Coleman threatening defenses and Colin Simmons - ranked No. 6 - leading the pass rush, Texas has difference-makers on both sides of the ball.
The next step for Manning is simple enough to say and hard to do: carry that late-season version of himself through an entire year. If he pulls that off, No. 17 might not look high enough by season’s end.
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