Texas quarterback Arch Manning is already being treated like the headliner of the 2027 NFL Draft, and for good reason. In a class ESPN’s Jordan Reid says could feature at least 10 first-round quarterbacks, Manning stands out as the prospect most firmly planted near the top of the board.
Reid identified 16 players who have a real shot at going No. 1 overall next April, and Manning comes in as the clear favorite. His odds, according to Reid, sit at 15 percent.
That kind of buzz has followed Manning for a while, even if last season didn’t unfold cleanly. He entered the year as a Heisman Trophy frontrunner, but a stretch of poor performances while he was dealing with injuries knocked him out of that race. Then he caught fire late, giving the hype a fresh boost heading into the 2026 season.
The strongest version of Manning showed up at the end of the 2025 season, when he helped put Texas within shouting distance of a possible College Football Playoff run. One fewer loss might’ve changed the conversation.
Now the task is simple: do it for a full season. Manning finished with 3,163 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Four of those picks came against a tough Michigan defense in the Citrus Bowl.
Texas also gave him more help. Cam Coleman and Hollywood Smothers are among the transfers added by Steve Sarkisian and his staff, and that upgraded supporting cast gives Manning and the Longhorns their best chance to land among the final 12 this year.
In Other News...
Texas Freshmen Are Already Making Key Position Battles Harder To Ignore
The first week of fall camp has already given Steve Sarkisian and his staff a few reasons to keep a closer eye on the freshmen, with Derrek Cooper, Jermaine Bishop Jr. and Tyler Atkinson all turning in promising early work. Coopers physical running style stood out enough to draw praise from Sarkisian, while Tyler Atkinson has made enough progress to get noticed in a linebacker room that already has established names in front of him.
Jermaine Bishop Jr. has also added to the pressure on the depth chart, with Ryan Niblett pointing to his agility and competitiveness as traits that translate quickly in camp. For Texas, the bigger takeaway is not just that the freshmen look ready to compete, but that the early battles for snaps are becoming harder to sort out by the day. [Read more 🡒]
Would Texas Ever Give Texas Tech The Game It Wants
Joey McGuire has made no secret of what he wants for Texas Techs future schedule, and it starts with more Power Conference opponents. The Red Raiders have spent time trying to line up marquee games, including an effort to get Texas on the slate, but those conversations have not produced the kind of matchup McGuire has been after. Other programs, from Texas A&M to USC, NC State and Mississippi State, reportedly passed on Techs requests as well, leaving the Red Raiders still searching for the sort of game that would raise the profile of their nonconference calendar.
From Texas side, the picture is a little less settled. Steve Sarkisian recently signaled some uncertainty about whether the Longhorns will keep their series with Notre Dame going, and any change there could ripple into future scheduling choices. For Texas Tech, that is the kind of opening worth watching, because the bigger the name left off the Longhorns calendar, the more room there may be for the Red Raiders to finally land the kind of matchup they have been chasing. [Read more 🡒]
Texas May Already Be Eyeing Trevor Goosbys Successor
With Trevor Goosby expected to move on after this season, Texas is already doing the kind of planning that keeps an offensive line from getting caught flat-footed. The Longhorns have put themselves in position to keep the pipeline moving, and one name worth watching is Austin Attalah, a four-star tackle prospect in the 2028 class who is viewed as a possible future fit up front.
Attalah is still early in the recruiting process, but Texas has made the cut as one of his top options alongside Texas Tech and USC. Even with the Longhorns in the mix, he has not yet visited campus or set a commitment date, which means this is still more about early positioning than any imminent decision. Still, for a program looking ahead to life after Goosby, getting in early matters. [Read more 🡒]