Texas QB Arch Manning throws twist into NFL draft despite being a freshman

Everyone knew Texas quarterback Arch Manning would be good. Most assumed he would eventually be great. But despite the fact he is only a redshirt freshman, he could have a profound impact on the 2025 NFL draft.

An abdominal injury to starting quarterback Quinn Ewers last week against UTSA opened the door for Manning to get a heavy workload. Manning delivered in a big way with a 67-yard rushing touchdown, a 75-yard touchdown pass and three more scores.

Now this week, Manning will get his first college start as the Longhorns prepare to take on the LA-Monroe. More than this week, just two weeks after this game is the Red River Shootout against the University of Oklahoma. If Ewers isn’t 100 percent by then and Manning can beat the Sooners, he might win the starting job outright and leave a healthy Ewers on the bench.

This would mean one of the five best draft-eligible quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft is now a backup. What will this mean for his draft stock and how would a benched Ewers impact the rest of a questionable quarterback class? This doesn’t even take into consideration that Manning is the lead man to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft and quarterback-needy teams could pass on a first-rounder in 2025 with questions because of it.