Two years ago, it felt like the next few years were all pretty much in place for Arch Manning.

Manning was set to take over the starting quarterback job at Texas, and after a successful season or two of leading the Longhorns, maybe pencil in either a national championship or a Heisman win or both in there for good measure, he would eventually declare for the NFL draft and be taken at No. 1 overall as he ascended to the pros.

These were, both at the time but especially in retrospect, unfair expectations to put on such a young player, but that is what happens when your last name is Manning and you commit to a power program as one of the highest-rated prospects the college football world has ever seen.

Instead, the past two years have been rocky at best for Manning. Last year the Longhorns underperformed and missed the playoff, and this year, they’ve already taken two losses against unranked teams, with Manning doing more harm than good in both of them. The future that once seemed clear is suddenly rather murky, and it feels less likely that he declares for the NFL draft this year, and much less likely that he would be a top pick in the draft.

The noise has gotten to the point that some are floating potential landing spots for Manning in the transfer portal. It’s a move that while unfathomable just two years ago, could make a lot of sense now.

Speaking with Ryen Russillo this week, Todd McShay made a pitch for where he believes Manning should land, and it’s a bit more off the radar compared to the power programs you might be imagining.

“I think he’s coming back, and I think he should,” McShay began.

He then explained that the fit between Manning and Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has not delivered the results either party expected, but that Manning has plenty of talent and a fresh start could do him a world of good.

“I think there are very few guys in college football that can truly create one-on-ones, and opportunities on specific plays, third-and-7, whatever it is, and actually scheme up, ‘Hey this guy’s open.’ I think Sark is actually one of them,” McShay said. “That can be true, and what also can be true is that maybe he’s not the best quarterback developer. I still think Arch could be a really good pro.”

McShay then wound up to his big pitch — sending Manning to join former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein at Kentucky, where he took over as head coach this past offseason.

“I would love to see him, and I haven’t heard anyone else say this. I’ve heard Georgia. I’ve heard Ole Miss. I’ve heard all different places of where he could transfer. We already talked about it man. There’s one guy that turned Bo Nix into Auburn laughable Bo Nix who got drafted 12th overall. There’s one guy who turned Dillon Gabriel into a third-round draft pick. There’s one guy that turned Dante Moore into, it’s not working here at UCLA, now we’re saying, ‘I don’t know the upside’s better on him than Mendoza if he had come out.’ Or he would have been the No. 2 overall pick. One guy: Will Stein. That’s what my advice would be is to explore that avenue.”

What should Arch do next year? https://t.co/RzcxTOGRM3

— The Ryen Russillo Show (@TheRyenRussillo) October 29, 2026

It’s still extremely early to be talking about such a move. The Longhorns are well within the playoff race despite their two losses, and Manning could very well lead them on a run that completely flips the narrative and turns him into a hero at Texas.

But should the season take another rough turn, a move could be in play, and while Manning’s championship prospects might take a big hit with a move to Kentucky,  it’s certainly an interesting idea if he’s hoping to get back to a place where he’s considered a potential No. 1 pick.