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One of the most anticipated college football offseason programs is the Manning Passing Academy, which brings together some of the nation’s top quarterbacks and others to compete, learn and prepare for the upcoming season.
Of course, the camp had a Manning participating instead of teaching, as Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning garnered tons of attention from virtually everyone in-person and looking on at home.
Arch will be leading the Longhorns this season after spending two years as Quinn Ewers’ backup in Austin, and if he has the Heisman-level season some predict for him, perhaps he will make the leap to the NFL after his junior year.
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Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) practices before the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Brett Davis-Imagn Images)
Despite not even being in the league yet, comparisons to his Super Bowl-champion uncles, Peyton and Eli Manning, have already begun.
Peyton made an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” where he explained his excitement for his nephew this season. However, he knows Arch, his brother and Arch’s father Cooper, and others have already prepared the Texas signal caller for what’s to come.
“You know Pat, Eli and I are his uncles,” Peyton said to McAfee. “We try to be there as a resource for him, but Cooper has done a great job with Arch, and they’ve handled all the different things that have kind of come their way in the right way. I’m excited to watch Arch play. He’s been very patient. I thought he threw the ball really well at the camp.”
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It wasn’t just Arch that turned heads at the Manning Passing Academy, though.
“[Arch] and [LSU QB] Garrett Nussmeier, in kind of our three throwing exhibitions, really threw the ball well. All the quarterbacks threw it well. It’s impressive. They make throws that I wouldn’t even think about making. I mean, Arch made a throw the other day — I had to hit the cutoff man to get the ball to the actual receiver. Nussmeier, LaNorris [Sellers] from South Carolina, it’s impressive all the way around.”
While there has been a spotlight on Arch since he chose the Longhorns out of high school, it’s been rather dim because he’s had to wait his turn behind Ewers, who stayed last season to help lead Texas to the College Football Playoff.
But two years learning head coach Steve Sarkisian’s offensive scheme is something the Indianapolis Colts legend believes did his nephew good.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs against Ohio State during the first half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal game, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
“But, look, he’s been patient,” Peyton explained. “It’s been well-documented, he’s been there two years. I’m such a believer in mastering the system that you’re in. When you have new coordinators every single year in the NFL and college, that’s just frustrating to me. I was lucky. … The fact that Sarkisian calls the plays and Arch has been there for two years already and is going to know the system, that’s going to be a huge advantage for him.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him get out on the field. He’s worked real hard. I love seeing him go to that camp for his teammates. That’s being a good teammate. That’s being a good wingman. I’m excited to get down there and watch a few games in Austin.”
One of the main things football fans point out when comparing Arch to his NFL-star uncles is the fact that he can really hit the ground running, making defenders miss when he tucks and heads outside the pocket.
As Peyton pointed out, Cooper was a wide receiver, so his wheels must come from his father.
What’s also moved on to the next generation is the “swagger” he thinks Cooper passed down to Arch.
Peyton Manning couldn’t be more excited to watch his nephew, Arch Manning, lead the Texas Longhorns this season. (IMAGN)
“The moxy, that was his dad,” Peyton said. “Cooper was a cocky wide receiver that was open every time in the huddle. I think about sophomore year in high school, I was the quarterback, and Cooper was a senior. I think I completed 120 passes that year, and I think 90 of them to my brother. He would’ve liked all 120. He did not care about his teammates or friends. I think that little swagger comes from his dad, and that’s good to see.
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“But Arch has to be his own person, and he can move. My dad’s sort of speed, sort of skipped a generation, skipped me and Eli. Arch has that, which helps him. But I still think with all quarterbacks, we’ve gotta be able to throw from the pocket first, throw on time and not take a lot of hits. That’s what we talked about with all of them.”
Arch will be tested right away as the Longhorns’ starter, as Texas will travel to Ohio State to face the reigning national champions on Aug. 30.
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