Hailing from the royal family of football—the Mannings—means Arch Manning will always have a target on his back. Carrying the same name as his legendary uncles, Peyton and Eli, and his grandfather, Archie, invites endless scrutiny and jokes from trolls. However, the 19-year-old seems well-prepared to handle the “nepo baby” chatter, responding with level-headed replies.
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The Texas Longhorns QB recently teamed up with Complex Sports, where he reacted to some of the harshest internet troll comments about him. The standout moment came when Manning read an X post that labeled him a Nepo Baby. Hilariously, Manning’s first reaction was a question to his director asking, “What’s that?” looking confused.
The director seemed audibly in disbelief, asking if the Longhorns QB was joking — “What? Oh, you’re being for real?” asked the director behind the camera, to which Manning simply replied with a “Yes.”
Upon finally understanding what the phrase means, Arch, unlike other ‘nepo babies’, didn’t downplay his privileges. Instead, the Longhorns star believed that it was a fair comment, considering he does come from a historic football family, which may have influenced the path he’s on.
“I mean, that’s fair. I do have a lot of football in my family, so it’s a fair comment. Freedom of speech,” said Arch Manning.
Another intriguing comment that Cooper Manning’s son read out was a post that labeled him the Bronny James of football. Arch Manning once again remained composed, responding positively.
Instead of following the mainstream narrative that views Bronny James as a below-par NBA player who plays for the Lakers because of his dad, LeBron James, Manning described Bronny as a “great guy.”
“I don’t know Bronny James. I DM’d him once. But he seems like a great guy. So, maybe that’s a compliment?”
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Amidst the sea of trolls, there were a few compliments as well. “Jeremiah Smith and Arch Manning on CFB ‘26 cover is gonna bang,” wrote one user. Continuing his positive streak, the Longhorns jewel first complimented the Ohio State WR for the breakout season he has had — “Jeremiah Smith is a stud,” Arch remarked.
Considering Smith has an NIL deal with Red Bull like him, Manning was even more ecstatic about Jeremiah’s success. However, when it came to starring on the CFB ’26 cover with Smith, the Longhorns star chose to remain mum.
“He’s actually a partner with Red Bull. Two cheers to him. Great athlete. I don’t about CFB ‘26, but I like Jeremiah Smith!”
Another user, perplexingly, compared Arch Manning to Derrick Henry for the ferocity with which the QB was seen pushing away defenders in games.
While most would have sheepishly accepted the compliment, Arch kept it real and bluntly pointed out that he was playing against weaker opponents in high school when making those moves. That said, Arch, like everyone else, couldn’t help but fanboy over Derrick Henry.
“I wish I was Derrick Henry. He’s a great-looking athlete… I also played against terrible competition in high school. Not terrible, but like smaller competition in high school. So it’s not saying much. But thank you!”
In a world of PR-curated responses, hearing Arch Manning be so raw and genuine is a breath of fresh air. We hope he stays this way forever!
