Nepotism Fears Trigger Speculation Among Texas Fanbase as Arch Manning Left Off Historic Family Honor

Who knows better than Arch Manning that legacy is a double-edged sword? Born into football royalty, the grandson of NFL legend Archie Manning, son of former Ole Miss receiver Cooper, and nephew to the Super Bowl champions Eli and Peyton Manning, Arch’s pedigree is as blue-blood as it gets. But for every fan celebrating his potential, critics are waiting for one misstep to stamp him with the “nepo baby” label. The notion that his path was paved more by his last name than play. In Austin, that spotlight burns hotter than most places, and the Longhorn faithful are on the edge of their seats, eager to see if Manning can carry both the weight of his name and the hopes of Texas football.

The Manning family has a tradition of hosting the competitive Manning Academy, a brainchild of Archie Manning. A four-day football camp, where the O-line reps are on the turf. Offensive positions like wide receiver, tight ends, running backs, and QBs are taught the fundamentals, straight from the NFL’s vault. The accomplishments of the Mannings were so GOAT-ed that the Manning Award was created to honor their contributions.  The 2025 Manning Award watchlist was released recently, and that’s what tossed Arch Manning back into the spotlight.

Allstate Sugar Bowl announced the 27 quarterbacks who made it up to the yellow parchment. The list includes elite names such as Drew Allar, Luke Altmyer, Garrett Nussmeier, Cade Klubnik, and Sam Leavitt, among others. Diego Pavia, Marcel Reed, and LaNorris Sellers also made their mark. But the ‘Arch Manning’ brand could find its name on the list. “Texas QB Arch Manning was not named to the, ahem, Manning Award watch list,” Yahoo Sports captioned. Although to win the award, your name on the list is not a requirement, as it keeps upgrading, tracking elite talent across different programs. So why not Arch? When the award literally bears your family name, the disregard feels impossible to ignore. Is it a quiet attempt to dodge the hype? Or does it hint that even the Mannings have questions about Arch’s credibility at this stage?

In the past two seasons, the 6’3.5, 220-pound QB tallied 969 yards and nine touchdowns, while rushing for 115 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Analyst Jake Crain believes that the Manning hype train is going out of bounds. “I think you know when you look at some of these quarterbacks, and people are putting (Arch) Manning at two, ahead of guys like Garrett Nussmeier, and even ahead of guys like Marcel Reed,” Crain said in a conversation with JD Pickell, back in June. “Arch just shows up to work trying to be the best version of himself. … but to me, you don’t have enough information to be able to say that it’s like we’ve seen the trailer for the Arch Manning movie.” Well, the quarterbacks who made it to the list saw significantly more action in their last season compared to Arch Manning, who just appeared in ten games and started only two for the Longhorns. So, his inexperience leaves room for mixed opinions.

Arch Manning fandom remains divided on nepotism speculations

Amid this, Arch’s exclusion sparked a frenzy. So, some fans remain convinced that his being left out is to showcase that he is not a nepotism product. One fan commented. “Probably don’t want to show favoritism. What’s one award when you’re a probable Heisman contender anyway.” He is the No. 2 contender after Cade Klubnik, ranking at +700, coming across as a heavy favourite. Another fan pointed out, “To avoid nepotism or ridicule for recognizing or not recognizing a direct family member. Wild.” Yeah, given that it’s after the Manning legacy, the award came into existence.

Another fan mulled over, “They purposely did that, he doesn’t want the 💡 he will show with his play!!.” Aside from being a Heisman contender, Arch is also projected to be the No. 1 draft pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Moving on to another remark, “The Mannings would never allow Arch to win The Manning Award,” a user pointed out. Will Arch be able to prove himself as one of the celebrated shots and enter the watchlist in the coming weeks? Let us know where you stand: is Arch’s snub just preseason noise, or the first crack in college football’s most famous name?