When is Arch Manning eligible to enter the NFL Draft?

Arch Manning chose the Texas Longhorns on Thursday morning, and people are already wondering when he’s eligible for the NFL Draft.

People are impatient by nature. Arch Manning decided to commit with the Texas Longhorns on Thursday, and already the question of when he can enter the NFL Draft has come up.

For Manning, the answer is the 2026 NFL Draft. By rule, every player who is eligible for the draft must be at least three years removed from high school. In short, Manning can either go early entry by way of being a redshirt sophomore, or a true junior. Of course, Manning can also be a redshirt junior, redshirt senior or a true senior.

When will Arch Manning be eligible for the NFL Draft?

Once Manning does become eligible, he’ll have a few family members to ask about the process.

His grandfather, Archie Manning, was the No. 2 overall pick in 1971, going to the New Orleans Saints only one choice after Jim Plunkett was taken by the New England Patriots. Then there are his two uncles, Peyton and Eli Manning. Both were chosen with the first-overall selection, with Peyton going to the Indianapolis Colts in 1998, while Eli was technically chosen by the San Diego Chargers in 2004, only to be immediately traded to the New York Giants.

Should Arch Manning reach the NFL, he’ll have lofty expectations considering Peyton is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and Eli may eventually reach Canton based on his two Super Bowl rings with the Giants.