Texas is going to turn NFL draft weekend into a familiar celebration again. From zero draft picks in 2022, the Longhorns then sent five players, followed by 11, and then 12 in consecutive years. But Michael Taaffe, now preparing for Saturday’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, isn’t pretending that Texas finished the job under Arch Manning either. The Austin Westlake product, who announced for the 2026 NFL Draft, reflected on his career and what he wishes had ended differently. 

“When someone looks back on Michael Taaffe, it’s not all the plays he made,” Michael Taaffe told KXAN on January 28. “It’s the guy that he was. I hope that I left that, and I hate that I couldn’t get the job done, but the other No. 16, I got a good feeling in him.” 

That “other No. 16,” of course, is Arch Manning, and Michael Taaffe didn’t mince words about passing the torch. Texas’ disappointment is huge after a season that began with them ranked No. 1 nationally but ended 9-3, outside the CFP bracket. The losses to Ohio State, Georgia, and Florida defined the resume as the Longhorns missed the playoff for the third straight season.

Michael Taaffe’s comments carry weight because Arch Manning’s decision reshaped the program’s short-term future. The redshirt sophomore QB is returning to Austin in 2026 despite being eligible for the draft and widely viewed as a potential first-round pick. The Manning family history points toward patience, as both Peyton and Eli stayed four years in college, and Arch followed that script. After early struggles as a first-year starter, he closed the season as one of the SEC’s most productive passers.

Statistically, Arch Manning finished 227-of-370 for 2,942 yards, 24 TDs, and seven interceptions, adding 244 rushing yards and eight scores. Over his final five starts, he threw 12 TD passes and posted three 300-yard games. The turning point came at Mississippi State, where he erased a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit with 346 yards and three TDs. From there, he followed with 331 yards against Vanderbilt and a 389-yard, four-TD performance versus Arkansas. With only 14 career starts, another year in Steve Sarkisian’s system looks beneficial.

“He’s a young man who’s gotten better as the season’s gone on, not only physically but mentally, maturity-wise,” the head coach said. “He’s got some unfinished business of what he came here to do and what he came here to accomplish.” 

That same sense of unfinished business is what brings Michael Taaffe and Malik Muhammad to Mobile for the Senior Bowl. Both DBs are representing Texas during a week that can reshape draft stock as much as any Saturday in the fall. Taaffe arrives with a resume few former walk-ons can match: 222 tackles; 9.5 tackles for loss; seven interceptions; a two-time Burlsworth Trophy finalist designation; a first-team All-SEC selection; and the 2025 Wuerffel Trophy. He started on a 5-7 Texas team in 2021 and leaves after three straight double-digit win seasons, joining a wave of veterans heading into the all-star season. 

Arch Manning will be without multiple veterans

Six Longhorns accepted invitations to the two major college all-star games, underlining how far the roster has come. Malik Muhammad made it clear that the mindset is professional now. 

“We’re trying to raise our draft stock,” he said. “Trying to showcase our skills, communication, technique, our all-around game to the NFL scouts and teams. This is huge for us.” 

A three-year contributor, Muhammad played 41 games, logged at least 30 tackles each season, and finished his career with 97 tackles and three interceptions. Michael Taaffe also admitted the process isn’t easy. 

“Man, it’s a stressful process,” he said. “I’m trying not to get too stressed about it. It’s hard not (to) look forward and advance. I’m just trying to take it day-by-day.” 

That pressure reflects how much Texas players now expect to hear their names called. Jack Endries, DJ Campbell, Ethan Burke, and Jaylon Guilbeau will showcase their own cases at the East-West Shrine Bowl, with multiple Longhorns projected as mid-round picks in April’s draft in Pittsburgh.

As you see, Texas is producing NFL talent again, but moral victories aren’t enough anymore. Michael Taaffe’s regret, paired with his belief in Arch Manning, says everything about where the standard now sits in Austin.