Arch Manning is drawing plenty of outside noise, but one of the louder takes around him does not include the NFL Draft or another year in burnt orange.
College football analyst David Pollack said he expects Manning to remain in school next fall, just not at Texas.
“Unless this turns around crazy, Arch ain’t gonna be there next year. I don’t think he’ll be at Texas,” Pollack said in a bold prediction while speaking with Bleacher Report.
Pollack then pointed to a conversation he had with an SEC head coach.
“I had one person, a coach, a head coach in the SEC, tell me he’d be shocked if he didn’t end up at Georgia. Remember, he committed to Georgia,” Pollack added.
One correction matters there: Manning did not commit to Georgia. He was heavily tied to Kirby Smart’s program, visited Athens and drew serious interest from the Bulldogs, but his first public commitment was to Texas in 2022.
Even with that correction, Pollack’s claim is notable because it suggests there may be more happening behind the curtain while Manning remains at Texas and the Longhorns are still working through a crowded playoff race.
At the same time, the line could also be the kind of rumor that gets pushed around because a rival would love to land him. Either way, Pollack’s comment put Georgia squarely in the conversation.
His warning also came with a major qualifier: “Unless this turns around.”
That leaves room for interpretation, especially after Texas’ big win against Ole Miss last week. Depending on how you define turning it around, the Longhorns may already have done enough for at least one important week, with a tougher stretch still ahead.
The bigger issue with Manning has been consistency. Some Saturdays he looks like the poised, accurate playmaker who can attack SEC defenses and sparked the comeback against Ohio State. Other days, the turnovers and missed throws show up and the picture gets messy fast.
Georgia would certainly be interested if Manning were available. The Bulldogs pursued him hard as a recruit and could use another quarterback option once Gunner Stockton is gone, especially with an inexperienced room waiting behind him.
For now, though, Manning is still Texas’ starter under Steve Sarkisian. He has spent multiple years in the system, built those relationships, and has the biggest stage in college football right where he is.
And despite the questions, Texas still gives him elite resources, a strong offense and a path to improve his draft standing with a strong finish. Walking away now would read like backing down under pressure.
That’s why, for all the chatter, the belief here is that Manning stays put and finishes what he started in Austin.
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Texas closed out its preseason with an exhibition loss to No. 13 St. Johns at Madison Square Garden, and the result offered a useful snapshot of what this team can be and what still needs cleaning up. The No. 7 Longhorns showed plenty of individual talent, with Keyshawn Hall leading the way for St. Johns and Isaiah Johnson pacing Texas with 18 points, but the home team controlled much of the night and made Texas work for every look.
For a program trying to stack momentum before the games start counting, the concern was less about shot-making than the sloppier parts of the performance. Texas had trouble at the free throw line, gave it away too often, and spent too much time dealing with fouls, the kind of issues that can erase good stretches if they linger once the schedule turns real. The talent is there, but this was a reminder that the Longhorns still have some tightening up to do. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Mannings Postgame Exchange With Holly Rowe Has Texas Fans Buzzing
After Texas knocked off Ole Miss, Arch Manning had plenty to talk about before leaving the field, and he used his postgame chat with ESPNs Holly Rowe to make a pitch. Manning pointed out the Longhorns unbeaten record with Rowe on the coverage and urged her to be around more often, a light moment that played well with Texas fans still soaking in a big win. He also had the kind of afternoon that gives a quarterback some room to joke around, finishing with 18 completions and three total touchdowns while helping Texas keep its momentum rolling.
The exchange carried extra weight because it came on the heels of an earlier Manning-Steve Sarkisian-Rowe moment that required apologies, so this one felt like a cleaner, more relaxed reset. For Longhorn fans, it was another reminder that Mannings rise is drawing attention well beyond the box score, and that even the small sideline moments around him are starting to feel like part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Arch Mannings Holly Rowe Moment Had Texas Fans Buzzing Fast
After Texas handled Ole Miss, Arch Manning had a moment with ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe that quickly caught fire with Longhorns fans. Manning had just put together one of his more complete nights as a runner and passer, and he made sure to acknowledge Rowe in a postgame exchange that fit the loose, upbeat mood around a team still rolling through an undefeated stretch.
Mannings on-field line was still a reminder of how uneven some of these games can look before the final whistle, with a mix of efficiency, mistakes and timely rushing production helping Texas get over the top. The interaction also carried a little extra texture because it came on the heels of the earlier Manning-Sarkisian-Rowe incident, one that had already led to apologies, which made this latest sideline moment feel like a fresh chapter in an ongoing story Longhorns fans have been following closely. [Read more 🡒]