Travis Hunter on how he’s preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft
Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter chatted with Sports Seriously about the upcoming draft and his new partnership with Snickers.
Sports Seriously
The 2025 NFL draft has arrived, and that means it’s time for draft analysts, gurus and insiders alike to discuss the most sought-after position group: quarterbacks.
While there are enticing signal-callers in this year’s class in the likes of Miami’s Cam Ward, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Ole Miss‘ Jaxson Dart and more, the excitement around them will pale in comparison to one prospect whose NFL draft hype began when he was in high school, who has yet to start a full season in college football and who is not even draft-eligible in 2025:
Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
Why would a quarterback, who is believed to be one of the top gunslingers in college football this upcoming season, be leading the conversation? Well, for starters: that exact reason.
But then, Arch Manning is also part of football’s royal family. He is the nephew of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning and the grandson of Archie Manning. There’s also the possibility that a quarterback-needy team may be willing to wait another year for the prospect of grabbing Arch Manning, especially considering this class is not believed to be as strong as it will be in 2026.
Manning showed flashes of his dual-threat skill set and passing acumen in 2024 for the Longhorns, as he started two games for Texas and came on in short-yardage situations. Here’s what you need to know of Manning’s eligibility for the NFL Draft and more:
When is Arch Manning eligible for the NFL draft?
Manning will be eligible to enter 2026 NFL Draft, the first year he can declare.
Though the 6-foot-4 quarterback has only played in two seasons for the Longhorns (he redshirted in his true freshman season after appearing in just three games), Manning is entering his third season in Steve Sarkisian’s program. This makes him draft-eligible after the upcoming 2025 college football season.
Manning could remain in college with the Longhorns past the 2025 season and further delay his declaration for the NFL Draft, as he has two remaining years of eligibility left after this season.
Each of his uncles and his grandfather exhausted their eligibility before moving on to play in the NFL. Peyton and Eli Manning were both the No. 1 picks of their respective drafts in 1998 and 2004, while Archie Manning was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1971 NFL Draft.
NFL draft eligibility rules
According to NFL Operations, to be eligible for the draft, a player must have been removed from high school for three years to be eligible.
“To be eligible for the draft, players must have been out of high school for at least three years and must have used up their college eligibility before the start of the next college football season. Underclassmen and players who have graduated before using all their college eligibility may request the league’s approval to enter the draft early.
“Players are draft-eligible only in the year after the end of their college eligibility.”
Arch Manning stats at Texas
Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of Manning’s stats this past season as a backup at Texas, which included back-to-back starts against the University of Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State as Quinn Ewers recovered from an injury:
- vs. Colorado State: 5 of 6 (83.3%) passing for 95 yards and a touchdown; one rushing touchdown
- vs. UTSA: 9 of 12 (75%) passing for 223 yards and four touchdowns; three carries for 53 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown
- vs. ULM: 15 of 29 (51.7%) passing for 258 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions
- vs. Mississippi State: 26 of 31 (83.9%) passing for 325 yards and two touchdowns; six carries for 33 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown
- vs. Georgia: 3 of 6 (50%) passing for 19 yards
- vs. Florida: 3 of 6 (50%) passing for 19 yards
- vs. Texas A&M: three carries for 14 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown
- vs. Georgia (SEC Championship): one carry for five rushing yards
- vs. Ohio State (College Football Playoff — Cotton Bowl Semifinal): one carry for 8 rushing yards
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
