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Texas Longhorns

NFL Draft analyst puts Arch Manning at No. 1 on hypothetical draft board

Spenser Davis

By Spenser Davis

Published:

At least 1 NFL Draft analyst believes Texas quarterback Arch Manning would be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft if he was eligible to be selected.

FOX analyst Rob Rang released his ranking of top 10 college football prospects and Manning sits atop the list. The ranking includes all CFB players and not just the ones who are eligible for the 2025 NFL Draft. Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is at No. 2 followed by Colorado star Travis Hunter at No. 3.

Here’s a look at the full top 10:

Manning only has a couple of collegiate starts under his belt, but the hype for his 2025 campaign has already begun. ESPN’s Marty Smith said earlier this week that he expects Manning to reach “Tim Tebow-level” hysteria next fall.

The former 5-star prospect will finally get his chance to lead the Longhorns after sitting behind Quinn Ewers for the first 2 seasons of his college career. Manning did make a couple of starts in 2024 while Ewers battled an injury. On the season, Manning completed 61 of 90 passes for 939 yards, 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also rushed for 108 yards and 4 more scores on the ground.

Manning will be eligible to be selected in the 2026 NFL Draft and could certainly be in contention to go No. 1 overall. Cam Newton even outlined a scenario where the Dallas Cowboys could tank the 2025 season in order to draft Manning.

For now, fans will have to focus on the 2025 draft, which is set to begin on April 24 in Green Bay.

Spenser Davis

Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.

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