The 2024 NFL Draft has a handful of standout quarterbacks, and it’s a virtual lock that the top three picks will all be quarterbacks, regardless of trades.
Still, some teams may hold off on grabbing one of the coveted signal-callers this year in favor of a certain player with NFL Hall-of-Fame family ties who will be available in future drafts.
Arch Manning has been touted as one of the best quarterback prospects since he’s been in high school. He enrolled at the University of Texas as the No. 1 recruit in the 2023 high school class, but he backed up Quinn Ewers in his freshman season.
Despite his minimal playing time, Manning continues to have a huge spotlight on him prior to becoming draft eligible. Whether he follows in his family’s footsteps as a No. 1 pick is something many fans and franchise executives are keeping a keen eye on.
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When is Arch Manning eligible for the NFL Draft?
Be patient NFL fans, Manning won’t be eligible for the NFL until 2026. This would come after his third collegiate season.
Manning doesn’t have to enter the 2026 NFL Draft, but it’s the earliest one he’s eligible for. Per NFL rules, a player must be three years removed from high school and have used their collegiate eligibility in order to enter the NFL Draft.
Manning joined the Texas Longhorns in 2023 and is entering his second season as a redshirt freshman. Whether he remains at Texas for all three-plus years does not matter — Manning can transfer and still remain eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Because Manning redshirted his true freshman season, his latest NFL Draft eligibility would be the 2028 NFL Draft, barring any injuries that grant him another season of eligibility.
Players are only draft-eligible in the first year after they finish or forego their collegiate career.
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NFL Draft eligibility rules
The NFL is different than the other three major sports leagues in the United States. The NBA, MLB, and NHL all allow players to join the professional ranks in their teenage years.
To make the NFL, a player must be at least three years removed from high school and have used their collegiate eligibility. If a college freshman is 18 years old, the earliest they can be drafted is at 21, for example.
Here’s a list of the criteria that each player must meet to become draft eligible.
- A player must be three years removed from high school
- A player must have used up their collegiate eligibility
- If a player still has eligibility remaining after three years, they can apply for draft eligibility through the NFL
- Players are only draft eligible in the year after their college eligibility expires or when the the NFL approves an underclassmen’s request to enter the draft
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Arch Manning stats
Manning played just two games in his true freshman season, completing 2-of-5 passes for 30 yards. He earned playing time in a Texas spring game, however, where he excelled.
Manning completed 19-of-25 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns, one of which was a 75-yard score to begin the day.
