COLUMBUS, OH — With a historic season-opener between the No.1 ranked Texas Longhorns and the No.3 ranked defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes, one thing is clear, Arch Manning and all the hype behind him has arrived.
Manning, the latest in member of the the so-called “First Family of Football” thanks to his grandfather Archie and his Super Bowl MVP uncles, Peyton and Eli, makes his debut as QB1 under center at Ohio Stadium on the road in his first true test as a starter.
In two starts for Texas, the 6’4, 219-pound New Orleans-born native and former standout at Isadore Newman, Manning completed 63-95 passes for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions vs. Mississippi State and Texas-San Antonio.
Here’s an update. Ohio State is a different level. And the Buckeyes, who have seemingly been flying under the radar before tomorrow’s clash have gone from a slim 1.5 favorite to a home underdog, history has shown that Ohio State always plays better when doubted.
Best believe that the Buckeyes have had this game on their calendar since betting the Longhorns down in Arlington, 28-14 eight months ago.
“The Rematch” is destined to be different.
According to Fanduel Sportsbook, Manning is the early season betting favorite to win the Heisman at +700 followed by both Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik and LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (+900), Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (+1100) with Miami quarterback Carson Beck and South Carolina quarterback at (+1800).
This is where things get real interesting. Recently, his grandfather, Archie stated that Arch may stay in Austin for two more years. Depending on the type of season Manning has, he may very well declare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
In the event that Manning does decide to declare, teams such as Cleveland and his grandfather’s team, New Orleans would be at the top of the draft, and thanks to the massive Micah Parsons blockbuster trade, Dallas has four first round draft picks, their own, plus Green Bay’s first in 2026 and 2027, as well as what may likely be a high second round pick.
That’s enough ammo to make Rambo proud.
If there’s a perfect match made in football heaven, it would be Arch in Big D. Dear lord, help us!
Troy Aikman who? Tony Romo and Dak Prescott what? Arch Manning a Dallas Cowboy would be media gold for years to come, and heaven forbid if they win a Super Bowl.
Dear lord. Roger Staubach may as well relinquish his “Captain America” title to Arch on the spot.
Oh dear!
In a perfect world, Manning to Dallas needs to happen, but Cleveland will need a Godfather-level offer they can’t refuse to do business with Dallas, plus they already passed on Travis Hunter for defensive tackle Mason Graham, and are currently the Shedeur Sanders business.
One other factor. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is a longtime and close friend of Peyton Manning, and a major booster at his alma mater, Tennessee.
And the Saints connection, due to his grandfather cannot be overlooked. Archie laid the foundation for the Manning dynasty in playing for bad teams his career there, and raised his family in the New Orleans area.
His sons, Cooper—Arch’s dad—Peyton and Eli all played and starred at Isadore, and Arch recently graduated from there in 2023, where he was the No.1 high school player in the country.
Also, with the Saints going into 2025 with Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough at QB, there is a very good chance that the Saints could be a realistic option for Arch to follow in his granddad’s footsteps.
For the 2026 NFL Draft, it’s really between three teams, Cleveland and New Orleans at No.1 and Dallas most likely trying to trade up to land Arch.
Like it or not, this is the dawn of the Arch Manning era, and while not quite on the media hype scale of a certain power couple engagement or a failed sequel to one of the most lopsided player trades in NFL history, get ready to see and hear a lot more of the most famous sports surname in football.