Texas QB Arch Manning will return to school for 2026 season

Texas quarterback Arch Manning will return to school to play in 2026, finally putting to rest questions about his future beyond this season.

In a text message to ESPN’s Dave Wilson on Monday night, Arch’s dad, Cooper Manning, said, “Arch is playing football at Texas next year.” Texas officials told ESPN the full expectation was that Manning would be back next season, even though Manning could have declared for the NFL draft as a redshirt sophomore.

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At a media event in Orlando, Fla., as part of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, where Texas will play Michigan on Dec. 31, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Manning would benefit from one more year in college.

“He’s a young man who’s gotten better as the season’s gone on, and not only physically, but mentally, maturity-wise,” Sarkisian said. “I would think he’s going to want another year of that growth to put himself in position for hopefully a long career in the NFL. And he’s got some unfinished business of what he came here to do and what he came here to accomplish.

“We had a really good football season. We left some meat on the bone with an opportunity to be SEC champs, national champs, and so ultimately for him, I think the competitor in him is going to say, ‘Man, I sure would like another crack at trying to do those things.'”

In his first season as the starter, Manning played his best football in the second half of the season when Texas went 6-1 and made a late push for the CFP. With the bowl game left to go, Manning has gone 227-of-370 for 2,942 yards, 24 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Only two of those interceptions came in the final seven games of the year. He added eight rushing touchdowns.