“It was tough. I mean, it’s tough in this age. But I hope it pays off…. Sometimes it’s worth the wait”. Recruited by Steve Sarkisian in the 2023 class, Arch Manning’s wait for that elusive QB1 spot is commendable. The Manning legacy must have whispered in his ears in those long nights when he would have thought, “God, I could have done better than him”. But young Manning waited. Despite having a whooping $6.6 million NIL value and interest from every team in the country. Now, with Quinn Ewers off to the NFL, Manning finally has a shot to prove himself. Still, a looming question remains unanswered.
Ranked as No.1 player in the 2023 class and having gained a near-perfect 100 rating on ON3. However, people have debated Arch’s game more for his last name than his stats. Even after completing 64.5% of his passes for 8,539 yards in high school, the narrative stayed the same. How his Manning name will automatically make him one of the most lethal QBs in CFB. Even HC Steve Sarkisian was the one riding the ‘Manning’ bandwagon on multiple occasions.
“It’s not the uncles, he got grandpa’s genes. There’s an infectious leadership that he has, that I don’t want to say is unintentional, because he intentionally leads. You can feel that. But the unintentional leadership ability he has, players gravitate to him, they want to be around him“. Sarkisian said after last month’s spring practice. Sure, Arch Manning’s grandpa, Archie, is a football legend. He was drafted as the second overall pick in the 1971 NFL draft. The two-time Pro Bowl pick undoubtedly has a place in football’s glory halls. But can’t we have a new scale of measurement for Arch Manning’s heroics?
Kayce Smith, the host of the ‘Unnecessary Roughness‘ CFB podcast, advocated this. ” If he is somehow a bust. I feel like that would be one of the biggest busts, and I’m talking about college, not in the NFL. It’s like what lies we’re being sold, just because his last name is Manning.” The host, while acknowledging the pedigree of Arch Manning, pointed to an unlikely scenario where he becomes a bust. She suggested that people should just move away from his last name (Manning) and see him for what he brings on the field.
Sep 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
“Take his last name off the Jersey, everything that we’ve heard, and that we’ve seen from a tape standpoint thus far, is that he’s pretty f****** good.” Undoubtedly, the Manning legacy travels far and generates more media hype than one can imagine. But looking beyond that, the QB still comes out as a beast. Just last year, Arch Manning appeared in 12 games and started two due to Quinn Ewers’ injury. The young prodigy didn’t disappoint us a bit and passed for 939 yards and won the two games he started against Mississippi State and Louisiana-Monroe. So, all in all? The QB is nothing less than a monster, but the verdict is also apt: Can we, for once, look beyond his name and analyze him objectively?
Kellen Moore speculated on landing Arch Manning in 2026?
Derek Carr is finally retiring. The shoulder injury he suffered was more concerning than initially reported. But looking back at those 11 NFL seasons and one Pro Bowl, the legacy is rich for the former Saints QB. But now comes the real problem. Kellen Moore, stuck between three unproven QBs being Tyler Shough, Jake Haener, and Spencer Rattler, might be looking at Arch Manning for the 2026 draft.
The move could become a reality since the Manning family has had historical ties with Louisiana for more than 50 years. Archie Manning himself moved there from Mississippi when the Saints drafted him as their QB in 1971. So, Arch Manning, being Cooper Manning’s son and Archie’s grandson, also grew up in Louisiana, just three miles away from the Superdome. All of these attributes point to a looming scenario where Arch could be at Kellen Moore’s camp next season.
That being said, the scenario might also not play out since we have seen the Mannings being patient in college football. For instance, Arch’s uncle Eli decided to spend a fifth year at Ole Miss, even when he could have been drafted in the first round in his fourth year. Same thing we could see with Arch Manning too, as he is coming to his first regular season, and he might not be too tempted to make the NFL jump, considering legacy matters for Mannings, not money.
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