GOOD NEWS: Dallas Cowboys Has Just Place Top Texas Longhorn QB Unnotice For Possible Draft, What Cowboys Fans Need to Know About This Wonderkid

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys are quietly doing their homework on the most famous quarterback prospect in college football, and Cowboys fans need to pay attention.

According to multiple reports, Dallas has already begun building a backchannel relationship with Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning and the player many NFL scouts believe could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft . While the Cowboys remain publicly committed to Dak Prescott, the organization’s interest in Manning is the worst-kept secret in football—and it could reshape the franchise’s future.

The Connection Is Real

The Cowboys made headlines in March when head coach Brian Schottenheimer was spotted having a lengthy conversation with Manning at Texas’s Pro Day in Austin . The meeting was brief but symbolic: Dallas is doing everything it can to stay on Manning’s radar.

The ties run deeper than a single conversation. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has a well-documented affinity for the Manning family, and analysts have speculated that Dallas’s decision to trade Micah Parsons for a package of first-round picks was part of a longer-term strategy to position the franchise for a run at Manning . Former Cowboys legend Dez Bryant has publicly stated his belief that Manning will eventually wear a star on his helmet .

What Cowboys Fans Need to Know About Manning

Manning, a redshirt junior, is in his second full season as Texas’s starter. In 2025, he completed 248 of 404 passes for 3,163 yards with 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions, adding 399 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground . The numbers were solid, but the tape revealed a player still learning to read defenses at an elite level.

That development curve has continued into 2026. Through four games, Manning has completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 862 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions, taking 10 sacks along the way . Texas is 4-0, but the Longhorns have leaned heavily on their defense. Manning threw an interception and led six three-and-out drives in a 20-17 win over Tennessee, prompting ESPN’s Jordan Reid to note that Manning “locks onto targets and doesn’t always read” defensive setups .

The scouting consensus is not unanimous. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler reported in late September that Manning “looks more like a player who could go back to school for a fifth season rather than be taken No. 1 overall in April” . Bleacher Report’s draft rankings list Manning as the No. 4 quarterback in the 2027 class, behind Miami’s Darian Mensah, Oregon’s Dante Moore, and Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss . Other outlets remain higher on his upside, with Sporting News ranking him the No. 2 quarterback prospect for 2027 .

The Dak Prescott Factor

Any conversation about Manning in Dallas begins with Prescott. The 33-year-old quarterback is under contract and remains the Cowboys’ unquestioned starter, but Dallas’s 2-4 start has intensified scrutiny on the offense. Prescott has thrown for 1,639 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions this season, but the Cowboys have scored just 13 points in each of their last two games .

Schottenheimer has drawn criticism for abandoning many of the pre-snap motion and play-action concepts that made Prescott successful in 2025. Dallas’s motion usage has plummeted from 56.6 percent last season—13th in the NFL—to 36.5 percent this year, dead last in the league . The running game has collapsed, ranking 31st in yards per game, and the offense has become predictable .

Prescott is not the problem. But he is 33, and the Cowboys have a rare opportunity to plan for the future without being forced into a desperate quarterback search.

The Draft Math

Manning is not eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft. He will be eligible in 2027, and that is when the Cowboys’ accumulation of draft capital becomes relevant. Dallas holds multiple first-round picks in the coming years thanks to the Parsons trade, giving the franchise the ammunition to trade up if Manning declares and the Cowboys are not in position to select him naturally .

The competition will be fierce. Multiple teams are projected to need quarterbacks in 2027, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals, and Miami Dolphins . If Manning returns to Texas for another season, the 2028 draft class could be even more crowded.

What This Means for Cowboys Fans

The Cowboys are not tanking. They are not benching Prescott. They are not publicly courting Manning in a way that would undermine their current quarterback.

But they are watching. They are building relationships. And they are positioning themselves for a scenario that would have seemed unthinkable a year ago: Arch Manning, in a Cowboys uniform, learning behind Dak Prescott before taking the reins of America’s Team.

For now, Manning’s job is to prove he is worthy of the hype. He has the arm, the pedigree, and the physical tools. What he needs is consistency, better decision-making under pressure, and a strong finish to the 2026 season that convinces NFL evaluators—and perhaps Jerry Jones—that he is ready for the next level.

Cowboys fans should root for two things this fall: a playoff push with Prescott, and a Manning breakout in Austin. If both happen, the 2027 offseason could be the most consequential in franchise history.