At the beginning of the 2025 college football season, Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning was being hyped by many media outlets as a Heisman Trophy favorite. Manning, however, tuned out the hype and focused on simply playing the game.
After a slow start, Manning found his rhythm as the season progressed, helping Texas remain in the College Football Playoff conversation, even though a spot ultimately didn’t materialize. Now, attention has turned to what the quarterback’s next move might be heading into next season.
What Will Texas QB Arch Manning Do Next Season?
On Monday night, word spread that Manning would be returning to Texas for the 2026 season. Yahoo Sports, among other media outlets, reported the news online. Arch’s father, Cooper Manning, told ESPN that his son would come back to Austin, Texas, next season.
BREAKING: QB Arch Manning is returning to Texas for the 2026 season, his father Cooper told ESPN.
Manning led the Longhorns to a 9-3 record and 13th-ranked finish. pic.twitter.com/LXNUIkXoYc
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 16, 2025
Manning has led the Longhorns to a 9-3 regular season record. Texas finished Southeastern Conference play with a 6-2 mark. Still, losses to the Georgia Bulldogs and, especially, the Florida Gators prevented the Longhorns from qualifying for the College Football Playoff. Texas lost its first game of the 2025 season to the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.
Texas, ranked No. 14 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll, goes up against No. 18 Michigan in the Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. The Wolverines’ football program has been undergoing significant changes in the wake of former head coach Sherrone Moore’s firing.
Entering the Longhorns’ bowl game, Manning has gone 227-of-370 passing for 2,942 yards, 24 touchdown passes, and seven interceptions. According to the PFSN CFB QB Impact metrics, Manning has an impact score of 83.2 and grades out to a B. He’s completed 61.4% of his passes as well.
Besides the passing game, Manning has proven to be a tough runner, too. He’s been among the team leaders in rushing yards this season. Entering the Citrus Bowl against the Wolverines, Manning has 83 rush attempts for 244 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. Other data indicate that Manning has had 38 designed rushes and 24 scrambles, too.
Manning has spent time working with Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and offensive coordinator Kyle Flood to become more comfortable in running the offense. While Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza won this year’s Heisman Trophy, Manning can now do his best to become part of next season’s conversation.