Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning will return to the program for his redshirt junior season in 2026, his father, Cooper Manning, confirmed in a text message to ESPN's Dave Wilson, Monday (December 15) night.

"Arch is playing football at Texas next year," Cooper wrote to Wilson.

Texas officials also told ESPN that they fully expected Manning to return for his fourth season with the program, despite the quarterback having the option to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said that Manning would benefit from one more year in college while addressing reporters in Orlando, Florida, ahead of the Longhorns' Cheez-It Bowl matchup against the Michigan Wolverines.

"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 via ESPN. "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.'"

Manning, who made five starts in 2024 in the absence of Quinn Ewers, took over as Texas' full-time starter in 2025, going 9-3 while throwing for 2,942 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 227 of 370 passing, while also recording 244 yards and eight touchdowns on 83 rushing attempts. The former consensus No. 1 overall prospect played his best football late in the season, going 6-1 in Texas' final seven games and only throwing two interceptions during that span.

Manning's uncles, Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, also opted to forego their first years of eligibility for the NFL Draft and return to the University of Tennessee and University of Mississippi, respectively.

Michele Michaels