Twenty-seven years ago when ESPN The Magazine debuted with its "NEXT" cover highlighting the athletes poised to become the future faces of their respective sports, it featured a 25-year-old Kordell Stewart already three years into his NFL career.

Archie Manning — the patriarch of the Manning quarterback dynasty — surprised some when he recenty poured cold water on the prospect that his grandson, Texas quarterback Arch Manning, would enter the 2026 NFL Draft and instead return to Austin for a second season as the Longhorns’ starter.