Arch Manning came into the 2025 college football season with an unbelievable amount of hype. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. even had Manning as the number one quarterback prospect in the 2026 draft class at the beginning of the season.
We put him at No. 1 because we have to. It’s Arch Manning. We saw glimpses last year of the greatness he could provide that Texas offense,” Kiper said. “Running the football, he’s got great legs. Cooper Manning, his father, was a wide receiver until he got injured. So he’s got speed – something Eli and Peyton didn’t have.”
However, Manning struggled out of the gate, and although he improved as the season went on, he ultimately decided to return for his senior year with the Texas Longhorns.
Manning is widely expected to be a part of the 2027 draft class, but one prominent member of sports media thinks his family will do everything in its power to keep Manning from landing with one specific franchise.
“I’ll tell you this, Jet fans. I hate to give you this a year in advance, and it will probably make you hate the Mannings more if you’re a Jet fan and you hate the Mannings already, because remember, Peyton didn’t want to play for the Jets. They will not let Arch Manning play for the Jets,” Mike Francesa said, according to Awful Announcing. “I’m telling you right now, they will manipulate the draft, they will never let him get drafted by the Jets. You can take that to the bank.
“I’m telling you right now, a year in advance, I don’t know where he’s gonna wind up next year, he’s gonna be the first player picked unless something drastic happens. But he’s not gonna go to the Jets. The Jets aren’t gonna wind up with Arch Manning, it’s not gonna happen. It’s not going to happen under any circumstances; that family will not allow it. I’m telling you, they will not allow it.”
Fans on social media reacted to Francesa’s prediction.
“I don’t think Arch’s family really in a position to be making demands at this point. If this is true of course not doing him any favors if his name with Arch Johnson this wouldn’t be a discussion,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“I’ll say this again, things can be worse as a Dolphins fan. We can be the Jets. Yikes!!” someone else added.
“Where’s the uproar? Where’s the nepotism memes? I remember S. Sanders was more accomplished, how can they be so arrogant?” one fan added.
It’ll be interesting to see where Manning ends up as a professional.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.