Like clockwork, the Arch Manning hype has started to buzz despite the season opener being a few months away. The Texas quarterback, who enters the season with a chip on his shoulder after last year’s brutal ride, made a huge statement early in the year by inking a major deal. Family friend Jaxson Dart is also part of this multi-million dollar venture.

Manning signed an NIL deal with Google Gemini. Though the details of the partnership are not public, being associated with a global brand like Google will definitely add a considerable amount to his chart-topping NIL valuation. Manning is currently valued at $5.4 million. With this deal, he also became the first college football athlete to be signed by Google Gemini.

Last season, Manning signed partnerships with brands like Red Bull, trading card juggernaut Panini, and EA Sports. Despite being among the most favorite personalities for brands to target in college football, he treads the NIL path carefully. He only started partnering with brands after he became a starter. And, he did not sign any while he was playing the season.

“I’m trying to get all that stuff out of the way before the season,” Manning said earlier. “Obviously, you want to take advantage of what you can and make the right decisions on partnering with companies, but I’m focused on ball.”

He seems to be following that same path this year as well, and has started off big with Google Gemini. Jaxson Dart, who knows Manning up close, had also partnered with the company last month. The quarterback dropped an interesting video where he sought the AI tool’s help to identify which accessories suit him. Manning, still in college, was seen using the chatbot to help with his studies.

For the Longhorns QB, this NIL deal comes as he seeks redemption in the 2026 season.

J.D. PicKell shields Arch Manning after the quarterback got judged too hard

PicKell declared Manning as the third-most disrespected entity in college football last season. The first and second spots were given to head coaches Ryan Day and James Franklin. Manning and Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer were the only two players who found themselves on the list, which is also telling of how badly they were done by the college football community. But Mateer slotted in at No. 9.

Manning was dragged through all kinds of slander after tanking in the first half of the season. He was tabbed as one of the biggest disappointments in 2025, after having been touted by experts and fans alike as a future star. It started right after Texas lost to Ohio State in the season opener. J.D. PicKell thought that his last name played a big role in the backlash that the QB had received.

“What if his last name wasn’t Manning?” PicKell said. “Would you be talking about him the way you’re talking about him in a negative sense? I think the way that people talk about Arch Manning is usually geared towards some other agenda and insecurity. Some of it’s just that college football is toxic.”

When Manning started to improve as the season went on, it came as a shock to fans. After Week 6, he flipped the script with 15 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Manning finished the season with 3,163 yards – he still had that five-star potential in him; he just went through a rough patch. The QB was also deemed the only villain in Texas’ 2025 run, even though the offense in general was lackluster.

2026 is a fresh slate for Arch Manning. He enters the season battle-tested, which should be a strength for him this season. When he finally gets to reach his true ceiling, his skeptics will have to take back their words.