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(Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

The Miami Dolphins are in Year 1 of a rebuild, and it makes sense that many see them as a contender for the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

While the Dolphins did sign Malik Willis this offseason, if he doesn’t impress, Miami will likely find a long-term solution in the draft, especially if they pick at No. 1. Moreover, many expect Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning to be the consensus top pick after the 2026 college football season.

Manning would be the face of the Dolphins for years to come if Miami finishes as the worst team in the league this upcoming 2026 season. However, any team that wants to position itself to draft Manning next year received a concerning outlook from Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian.

During a June 15 appearance on “Up & Adams,” Sarkisian didn’t rule out Manning skipping the 2027 draft to play another season at Texas.

“I will tell you we haven’t had the discussion, but I would not be surprised,” Sarkisian said. “I think Arch really loves college football; I really do [and] I think he loves the University of Texas. He does pretty well through NIL.

“He’s got some strong endorsements right now, which is a credit to him. And obviously the lineage of the last name and the brand of the University of Texas, all those things coming together.”

Texas HC Could See Arch Manning Leaving for the NFL Too

Nonetheless, Sarkisian left the door open for Manning to leave for the NFL after this 2026 season. The Texas coach sounds prepared for whatever decision his quarterback makes after the Longhorns’ season ends. However, it does sound like there’s a real chance Manning stays in Austin.

“But again, I won’t be surprised if he declares and decides to go to the draft,” Sarkisian added. “I think some of that is dependent upon how we play as a team this fall and how he plays individually.

“Knock on wood, injury-free football, things like that. But again, that’s not our focus. Our focus is on getting ready for the season, getting ready for Texas State in week one, then Ohio State, then UTSA, then Tennessee, and so on.

“We haven’t really had any dialog about it, but to your point, I wouldn’t be surprised. He loves college, and again, he’s got some pretty good NIL stuff going for himself right now.”

Dolphins QB Malik Willis Lands Alarming Update

As for the Dolphins’ current quarterback situation, Willis has drawn some criticism. The Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly assigned offseason superlatives for Miami and labeled Willis as the player who “needs the most work.”

“In fairness to Willis, who has a reputation for being an athletic quarterback, I haven’t seen him take off and run once in all the practices the media has watched,” Kelly wrote in a June 12 article. “That’s probably not a coincidence since his focus has been on developing as a pocket passer.

“His offseason work makes it clear Miami needs to find a way to improve his processing speed, making him operate a half a second faster reading defenses. Willis also needs to spend the next month developing better chemistry with his weaponry. If not we can expect Miami’s passing game to get off to a slow start.”