Five games into the 2026 season, and guess what? We’re still having the exact same conversation about Arch Manning we had midway through 2025: should he spend another year at Texas? This ain’t some casual chatter either. Coach Steve Sarkisian himself said back in June he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Manning decided to roll into a fifth season in 2027. And then Eli Manning, his uncle, just earlier this month, went on Colin Cowherd’s show and talked up the value of that college experience for developing as a quarterback and a leader, beyond just NFL prep.
What Arch Is Showing Us, For Real
Look, nobody’s debating Arch’s physical gifts. The guy has a cannon for an arm, he can move in the pocket as well as anyone, he’s solid off-platform, and yeah, he’s an asset in the run game. Despite some of the up-and-down performances, what’s quietly undeniable is his deep-ball throwing. He’s one of the best in this whole quarterback class at it. We’re talking a ridiculous 93.1 PFF passing grade on throws traveling at least 20 yards through these five games! He’s dropped 10 big-time throws on 24 attempts, and sure, he’s only completed nine of them, but you gotta factor in drops and just how things shake out. The tape? It constantly shows a quarterback who can sling it deep with touch, drive, and killer accuracy. On Saturday, in that tough 27-24 loss to Oklahoma, we saw exactly that. He looked like the best player on the field when he fired that 41-yard touchdown to Cam Coleman. Then there was another big-boy touchdown to Ryan Wingo later on. And that laser to Coleman? Folks are saying it might be the best throw of his career.
But Here’s The Glitch In The Matrix
The real problems pop up when Arch’s first read isn’t there. That’s where things get dicey. He can look hurried, even when the pocket’s clean! And that messes everything up: his footwork goes whack, his accuracy takes a hit, and his field vision just narrows. He’ll skip reads, and you can see stretches where it looks like he’s only seeing part of the field. That Oklahoma game? It was a showcase for both versions of Arch, the phenomenal and the frustrating. No formal announcement has dropped yet, but the possibility of him staying for 2027, making him a 2028 NFL Draft candidate, is making everyone ask: would one more year in college actually transform him into the top-five pick everyone’s been hyping him up to be? He’ll turn 23 in the spring, and even after four years in college, he’s only made 20 career starts. He could finish 2026 with maybe 27 to 30, but another season? That’d push him toward 40 starts. The big question is whether those extra games would make a real, meaningful difference. History offers both hope and some serious red flags.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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