Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning laid an egg against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday during his team’s 14-7 loss in Columbus. And unfortunately for him, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, and a “dozen” other NFL scouts were in attendance.
ESPN’s Heather Dinich reported the rough estimate of NFL personnel in attendance while also reiterating the long-held belief that Manning is a projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft.
“With scouts from more than a dozen NFL teams watching, including the nearby Cleveland Browns, Manning was inconsistent, displaying flashes of promise tempered by mistakes. He completed 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards, 1 touchdown and an interception -- an underwhelming day for a player some have already pegged as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft,” Dinich wrote.
The Longhorns are understandably worried about what they saw. As Dinich relayed, there are internal discussions about getting the offense right by the time SEC play begins.
“Texas won't play another Power 4 opponent until Oct. 4 at Florida, and those within the Longhorns' program agreed that the offensive issues are correctable before the SEC slate begins,” Dinich wrote.
Cleveland drafting Arch Manning a tougher sell to Browns fans
It’s going to be tough for the Browns to justify drafting Manning if this continues. Haslam was said to have an affinity for Manning due to the Knoxville, Tennessee, native’s connection to Peyton Manning via the Tennessee Volunteers. That affinity isn’t gone, but handing him the keys to the franchise next year, after presumably going through a full season of calls for Shedeur Sanders to get a chance, feels further from reality now. That the loss happened in the state of Ohio is the cherry on top.
As for the other teams, again, it depends on what happens from here. Most NFL front offices would probably prefer Manning to play at least another year in Austin after what they saw on Saturday.