After he was listed as the preseason betting favorite to win both the Heisman trophy and the national championship and was labeled as a “generational” prospect, the Ohio State Buckeyes immediately dismantled the movement that was being built around Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns. And just four weeks later, the Florida Gators would see to it that no such conversations would ever be had again.
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Manning now figures to remain in college for at least another year, as this season was incredibly detrimental to his draft stock. Unfortunately, it’s also impacted the 21 year old’s bottom line as well.
As Texas was solidifying its 45-38 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Week 9, Manning was recording a $2.1-million loss in NIL dealings. At the beginning of the year, he boasted a benchmark NIL valuation of $6.8 million, but that total had dropped to $4.7 by the time that he had entered concussion protocol.
A day after his loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, it dropped once again, this time to $3.6 million. However, Manning has since battled back, improving both his NIL totals and the Longhorns’ record in the process.
Thanks to winning five of their last six games, Texas was able to enter its match up against its regional rival, the Texas A&M Aggies, with an 8-3 record and an opportunity at ruining the Aggie’s perfect season. Throw in the fact that they were able to reclaim a spot in the national rankings as well, and it seems as if that’s enough to get some donors back on board, as his total has now reclaimed the $4-million mark.
Given the results of the contest, it certainly seems as if they were right to “buy low” on Manning as well. The latest addition to football’s royal family was once again able to showcase his dual-threat capabilities by recording one rushing score and one passing score in his final regular season game.
Manning’s sub-50% completion percentage left a lot to be desired, but he was still able to produce 179 passing yards and 53 rushing yards on seven carries. If and when he finally does decide to declare for the NFL Draft, that skill set will serve him well, but fans and scouts alike will be expecting him to improve upon his accuracy and completion totals next season.
Even though this season wasn’t the smash success for Texas that many had hoped for, they were still able to go out on top while smashing the dreams of the #3 ranked team in the nation. With a final score of 27-17, Manning has at least ensured that he and the rest of his herd will carry some momentum with them into the off season, where they will hope to land some recruits who can give them a more legitimate shot at winning the big one.
