Arch Manning waited two full seasons for his chance to start at quarterback for Texas. That’s almost unheard of for a five-star recruit.
Transfer rumors keep swirling. People keep guessing when he’ll declare for the NFL Draft. Peyton Manning – Arch’s uncle and two-time Super Bowl winner – won’t speak for his nephew about the future.
But Peyton Manning believes Arch’s patience with the Longhorns these past two years will pay off in 2025.
Looking at the Manning family history, that progression makes sense.
“I’m proud of Arch,” Peyton Manning told Sporting News. “He went to Texas because that’s where he wanted to go. He wanted to go to school there. That was the reason I went to Tennessee.”
Peyton Manning played four years at Tennessee. He finished 39-6 as a starter before getting selected with the No. 1 pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.
Eli Manning waited two seasons to become the starter at Ole Miss and spent five seasons in college before becoming the No. 1 pick in 2004. Peyton and Eli each won two Super Bowls during their NFL careers.
That’s led to similar predictions for Arch Manning. He’ll be a first-time starter for the Longhorns as a redshirt sophomore in 2025.
Why Peyton Manning believes Arch will succeed in 2025
Quinn Ewers started at Texas the last two seasons. Arch Manning made two starts last season when Ewers was out with an oblique injury.
The limited playing time only added to the hype. Arch Manning completed 63 of 95 passes (66.3%) for 969 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions over the last two seasons. He added 115 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
The appetite is high. Arch Manning comes into the 2025 college football season as SN’s top quarterback despite that limited experience.
Peyton Manning said the long-term benefits of staying at Texas and learning should help Arch this season.
“It’s more than just the football program,” Peyton Manning said. “You like going to school there. You like the head coach who also calls the plays, and that creates great continuity. To me, the Kyle Shanahans, the Sean McVays – when the head coach is calling the plays – the quarterback is going to thrive in the same system every single year.”
Peyton Manning would know. He had the same head coach in Phillip Fulmer and offensive coordinator in David Cutcliffe for four years at Tennessee.
Peyton Manning played for three head coaches and two offensive coordinators in 13 seasons with the Colts. He had two head coaches and three coordinators in four years with the Broncos.
It might be even more important at the college level. Arch Manning has head coach Steve Sarkisian, who calls plays, and the same offensive coordinator in Kyle Flood.
Arch Manning didn’t enter the transfer portal. Of the top eight quarterbacks in 247Sports.com’s recruiting rankings for 2023, he’s the only QB who stayed at his original school.
Peyton Manning believes the system matters.
“The fact that this will be Arch’s third year in that system, he’ll have great knowledge of the system – still hasn’t had on-the-field game reps as I’m sure he would have liked, but those will come this year,” Peyton Manning said. “There will be things for him to learn, but I’m proud of him for his commitment and I’m looking forward to watching him play.”
Peyton Manning on benefits of staying in college
Peyton Manning’s choice to attend Tennessee was one of the most followed recruiting decisions of the 1990s. His father Archie was a star at Ole Miss.
Peyton Manning was in college long before the transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness took effect. Would NIL have changed that choice?
“Those are all hypothetical questions – but when I got recruited I took five official visits and several unofficial visits,” Peyton Manning said. “It was hard. There were a lot of different schools I wanted to go to, but you have to pick one. It was a tough decision, but going to Tennessee was the best decision I ever made.”
“Heck, I stayed all four years,” he said. “I had my degree in three years, could’ve come out as a junior and I stayed all four years. That tells you how much I loved my college experience as a student athlete.”
There’s speculation Arch Manning might return for a fourth season at Texas in similar fashion. Manning reportedly has a lucrative NIL deal with the Longhorns.
Of the last 21 quarterbacks selected No. 1 in the NFL Draft – starting with Peyton Manning in 1998 – 19 of those quarterbacks started for multiple seasons in college.
Peyton Manning didn’t say whether Arch Manning should follow that stay-in-school path. But he believes most student-athletes are right to be patient.
“My wish for student-athletes is that they get to participate in college sports,” he said. “That they enjoy everything about that experience and not be in such a hurry that they get to the next destination.”
Peyton Manning also said he hasn’t thought about what might happen if his nephew plays against Tennessee. The Longhorns and Volunteers don’t play in the 2025 regular season. The 2026 SEC schedule hasn’t been released yet.
So for Peyton Manning, there’s no reason to worry about a conflict of interest. At least not yet.
“I haven’t gotten that far,” Peyton Manning said. “I pull hard for my Tennessee Volunteers every single week, but I’ll be pulling hard for my nephew this year.”
