Drew Allar’s return to Penn State has a hidden meaning for Arch Manning and Texas

It’s getting harder and harder to potentially justify Arch Manning leaving school a year early. Although he is not yet eligible for the draft, Texas quarterback would be after next season. Although the Mannings have made it a point not to turn pro until after their fourth year college footballit has become even more popular to leave school early these days. Fortunately, this will not happen now.

With Penn State quarterback Drew Allar joining LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier in announcing his intentions to return to school for another year, Manning would have stiff competition when it comes to being one of the first quarterbacks taken. Allar and Nussmeier have much more starting experience than he does at the college level. There could be even more quarterbacks who choose to stay.

What I’m getting at is that unless Manning has a 2019 Joe Burrow season at Texas next year, there’s no reason for him to leave school early with two years of eligibility still on the table. While the 2025 draft class might not be anything special, there’s a chance guys like Allar and Nussmeier make the 2026 class worth writing about. All signs point to Manning leaving in 2027.

Allar coming back to Penn State is huge for the Nittany Lions’ extended chances to win it all.

Quarterbacks seem to be failing at an alarming rate i NFL due to a lack of collegiate starts.

Look. 2027 was always going to be the year Manning entered NFL Draft. That would have given him four years in school and at least two years where he starts playing as a Power Four school. While Quinn Ewers still has eligibility left to gain, all signs point to Texas moving on from him in favor of Manning next year. Ewers may turn pro, but we’ve seen his NFL Draft stock decline.

When it comes to evaluating Allar and Nussmeier’s future NFL Draft stock, I see Allar as a better version of JJ McCarthy and Nussmeier as a Drake Maye with NFL pedigree due to his famous father Doug. I fully foresee Penn State and LSU being in the mix College Football Playoffs mix next year along with Texas. To be honest, unless Manning wins Heisman Trophywill he return in 2026.

And just because this year’s quarterback draft class might not move the needle that much, there’s a chance guys like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward could be decades-long starters at the next level. Since Burrow went No. 1 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020, how many franchise-changing quarterbacks have entered the NFL Draft? There aren’t as many as you think…

At this point, Manning needs to make a lot more starts before we even think about bringing him to the NFL.