Arch Manning, the nephew of Hall of Famer QB Peyton Manning, stepped on the field for the first time in his college career for the Texas Longhorns and carried the legacy of the Manning family. The highly touted 5-star recruit came in the 3rd quarter for Quinn Ewers against Texas Tech.
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Though he completed only 2 of 5 passes for 30 yards and rushed for 7 yards, it was a good outing for the young QB. The Longhorns dominated the Texas derby and completely routed Texas Tech by a final score of 57-7. Manning missed the first two throws but then went on to lead a 91-yard drive, getting the crowd excited. The debut was noteworthy and a sign of things to come in the future.
Son of Cooper Manning, he became the highest NIL-valued football player in April, but Shedeur Sanders surpassed him in the coming few weeks. The young QB is currently valued at $2.8 million the same as the highly rated Caleb Williams as per ON3. Shedeur, who passed him, is currently the highest-rated NIL prospect playing college ball and is valued at $4.4 million.
Though the Manning family didn’t want him to sign NIL deals until he was a starter for the Longhorns, Arch Manning inked his first multi-year exclusive NIL deal with Panini American, a trading cards company. His first card was a one-of-one Prizm black autographed card and was auctioned off for a whopping $102,500, according to ON3 NIL.
Arch Manning Donated Earnings From His First Nil Deal to Charity
Manning got his first taste of college ball against Texas Tech. Despite being a highly-rated prospect coming out of high school, he has spent most of his time on the bench for the entire season. This even fueled the rumors of his early transfer from the Longhorns.
Everyone at Texas expected the grandson of Archie Manning to start many games as a freshman. But he has been down in the pecking order, with the likes of Quinn Ewers and Maalik Murphy ahead of him. Despite spending all his time on the bench, he is still the 4th highest-paid college athlete in the NCAA behind Bronny James, Shadeur Sanders, and Livvy Dunne, as per ONE37PM.
Arch, valued at $2.8 million through NIL, donated his first NIL earnings to charity. Manning earned $102,500 from the auction of his Panini autographed card. He donated the entire proceeds to benefit children and their families in Central Texas with support from St. David’s HealthCare and St. David’s Foundation. The Longhorns QB said he signed his first deal to help people. About the charity, he said,
“When I first partnered with Panini to auction off my trading card, I wanted the money to go to a good cause. Helping children live healthy and fulfilling lives was important to me and my family,” reports Austin American Statesman.
Arch Manning is going to rule the spotlight for a long time. But the Manning name comes with some expectations and scrutiny. His college career is off to a good start. Texas fans will hope that their highly-rated prospect plays more next year. Longhorns are currently at 1st in the Big 12 conference. They have an impressive 8-1 conference record and an 11-1 overall record.
