When Steve Sarkisian FaceTimed Arch Manning for the first time, it was supposed to be an icebreaker, a ‘get to know each other session’ of sorts. Instead, what derailed the whole conversation was a loud pinging noise coming from the Isidore Newman School senior’s end. “Are you at an arcade?” the HC had asked, to which the teenager skeptically responded, “Coach, it’s kind of embarrassing. I’m babysitting. I’m at an arcade, but they’ve got enough coins to keep them busy for the next 30 minutes.” And that’s all Sarkisian needed to know about the player he was about to recruit. Coming from football royalty, Manning was envisioned as more of a Shedeur Sanders-esque cocky young man. The 17-year-old was exactly the opposite.

His life included school, football games, practice sessions, babysitting two days a week, and no social media or video games. Despite being the heir to the Manning quarterback legacy, Arch’s father Cooper Manning made sure to “keep it all in check and let him be a normal kid”. And that also included protecting the youngster from the weight of expectations. Ahead of launching a college football career, the young quarterback was notoriously private about his recruiting journey. While his unofficial campus visits became a big affair, outside of that was a static silence that unnerved most journalists.

It got to a point where the father—whose own football career was cut short in 1992 after a spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal canal) diagnosis—refused Arch’s participation in telephonic interviews, and declined all scholarship offers to contain the media frenzy. Even till date, the family abides by the very rules. And more. The most bizarre aspect of it? Their NIL stance. Apart from an exclusive partnership with Panini America in 2023, and a cameo in the EA Sports College Football 25 video game, Arch’s portfolio had largely remained devoid until he became a starter. Why? Hear it from Cooper Manning himself.

On the May 22 episode of the Under the Number podcast, when the host pointed out how the 21-year-old (who now boasts $6.5 million in NIL value thanks to his starter role) is “not signing brand deals everywhere he looks. He’s not on every billboard in Texas,” the retired footballer revealed, “We never talked money ever before he figured out where he wanted to go to college. We never discussed it with the coaches….’Make a decision on where you want to go to school, where you’re going to be happy, where you think you fit in, make friends…and are going to be happy if the whole football thing doesn’t work out’…So he made those decisions on his own. We tried to help him and guide him and show him, ‘Go to these places,’ because you don’t really have taste when you’re 16 and 17 and 18. So I was glad he made the decision on the merits of, ‘Where can I go be happy [and] get a good education’.”

“And then also Arch said the other day. He goes, ‘Dad, I think I’ve figured out this NIL stuff. If it doesn’t feel right in my gut, don’t do it.” And I said, ‘Buddy, that’s the way it works for 99% of the world’…The gut is hard to fight…[If you] know the difference between right and wrong, the gut will lead you in the right way. And I think he’s had ample opportunities to do some things that just didn’t quite make sense for what he’s all about…I think he’s really concentrating on the task at hand…what’s on the field. Let that dictate what comes next. So, he’s picking his spots carefully. He likes what he’s done so far and…feels good about it.”

Notably, the Longhorns HC spent a hefty $280,000 on a recruiting spree to bring the five-star Manning to Texas. You might think Arch would be flashy with that kind of backing, but it seems his grandpa advised him otherwise. Arch believes he needs to earn his keep at the right time. “I didn’t want to be the guy rolling in with all this money when we have guys like Jake Majors who have had 40 starts here and not making any. I’m taking all the money, so I wanted to kind of earn my money, work hard, get to know the players, and, you know, kind of earn my way up,” Arch himself said, recalling his grandpa’s NIL advice.

Well, looks like Arch Manning has what it takes to further the Manning legacy, both on and off the gridiron. But…

Arch’s path to glory hits a roadblock

Archie Manning had an amazing football career at the University of Mississippi. He was a first-team All-American and placed fourth in the Heisman Trophy race in 1969. Later, he went to the NFL, picked by New Orleans as the No. 2 overall pick in the first round. His big season came in 1972, his second year, when he started all 14 games, completing 230-of-448 passes for 2,781 yards and 18 touchdowns. This strong football legacy was carried on by his sons, Eli and Peyton. Peyton Manning was the No. 1 pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, and Eli Manning was the No. 1 pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. And what about Arch’s father, Cooper?

Well, Cooper Manning started strong in high school as a wide receiver. His success earned him a scholarship at Ole Miss. However, Cooper’s football career ended before he could even play a single game for the Rebels. That’s when he got diagnosed with spinal stenosis. This is how his college football career came to an end even before his brother stepped foot in college.

Meanwhile, his son’s first year as a starter in Texas was on turbo mode when someone unexpectedly hit the brakes. It wasn’t a famous name, but rather an unheralded one that’s shaking things up for Arch Manning. It’s Fernando Mendoza, a transfer from the Indiana Hoosiers and a product of the California Golden Bears.

YahooSports recently dropped a bombshell post: “Nate Ice has Fernando Mendoza as his QB1 in the 2026 NFL Draft over Arch Manning.” Now, to live up to his family’s name, Arch needs to quiet the chatter and sprint towards the NFL like it’s his only path.