Arch Manning’s first season as Texas’s starting quarterback has been far from smooth. The highly-hyped recruit struggled early with a low completion percentage and questionable decision-making, as the speed of the college game seemed to overwhelm him.
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But a recent breakout against Sam Houston State — where he threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns — has offered a glimpse of the elite potential scouts raved about in high school. Developing under Steve Sarkisian, Arch is slowly finding his confidence, and many fans and analysts still believe he could be the next Manning to shine on football’s biggest stage.
While Arch works to write his own story, his father, Cooper Manning, has been keeping things light off the field. In a recent interview, Cooper cracked jokes about his role in the famous family and even poked fun at how his son got his name. When asked if the family visits the St. Louis Gateway Arch often, he deadpanned, “Arch was actually conceived there. And on top, little-known fact but I thought today was the venue to go ahead and share that.”
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The laughs didn’t stop there. Asked what it’s like being the “least famous Manning,” Cooper shrugged it off. “I would say liberating. I can go on a show like this and no one’s gonna see it and no one’s gonna care, so I will get no heat for whatever I say or do.”
Of course, Cooper was joking. The real story is that Arch was named after his grandfather, Archie Manning, the legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback and patriarch of the family. With Peyton and Eli cemented as NFL icons and Cooper leaning into humor as his trademark, it’s Arch who now carries the pressure of keeping the Manning football legacy alive.
If his recent bounce-back game in Austin is any indication, Arch may be starting to embrace that challenge.
