Arch Manning is expected to be one of the top picks in the 2027 NFL Draft. Most people assume this is the last season for the youngest member of the Manning legacy in Austin. However, his own head coach is not so sure about that.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian appeared on the Up and Adams Show with Kay Adams on Monday, June 15, and was asked directly about Manning's future after 2026. His answer raised some eyebrows.

"We haven't had the discussion, but I will tell you, I would not be surprised," Sarkisian said on the show when questioned about Manning extending another year in Texas. "I think Arch really loves college football. I really do. I think he loves the University of Texas."

Sarkisian was not saying Manning is staying. He was saying do not rule it out. The NIL factor came into the conversation, too.

"He loves college, and again, he's got some pretty good NIL stuff going for himself right now," Sarkisian said on the show.

According to current On3 NIL rankings, Manning sits at No.1 with an NIL value of $5.4 million.

However, statistically, the 2025 season gave Manning a mixed year. He threw for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while completing 61.4% of his passes. Texas missed the College Football Playoff. That result is a big reason why Manning returned for 2026.

So, Sarkisian made clear that any decision is performance-based. How Manning plays this fall will drive everything.

"I think some of that is dependent upon how we play as a team this fall, how he plays individually, knock on wood, injury-free football," Sarkisian told Kay Adams.

Texas opens against the Texas State Bobcats before a massive matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes early in the year.

Manning has two years of eligibility remaining if he wants it. Both of his uncles, Peyton Manning at Tennessee Volunteers and Eli Manning at Ole Miss Rebels, played four seasons before leaving for the NFL. The Manning family precedent is already set.

Will Manning take that path? That’s the biggest story in college football heading into the fall.

What Arch Manning’s 2026 Season Could Look Like With Texas’s New Receivers

Texas made some massive moves in the transfer portal this offseason. The biggest was Cam Coleman, who transferred from the Auburn Tigers after being their leading receiver in 2025 with 56 catches for 708 yards and five touchdowns.

Coleman joins returnees Emmett Mosley and Ryan Wingo in what Sarkisian called a more explosive offensive lineup. Manning now has real options around him that he didn't have last year.

If Manning has the kind of season Texas is expecting, the NFL is going to get far too appealing to pass up.

Do you think Arch Manning will return to Texas for a fifth season or enter the 2027 NFL Draft? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar