In a college football world where statues are commonly reserved for Heisman Trophy winners or other decorated athletes, a program is set to build one in honor of a legend who neither won the Heisman Trophy nor the national championship. Even after a College Football Hall of Fame induction and several other honors, a statue within the program’s campus is the next plan for this legend.

As they continue their fall camp in preparation for the 2026 college football season, the Ole Miss Rebels have announced their decision to immortalize legendary quarterback Archie Manning with a statue on the campus in Oxford. It is expected to be erected between the Manning Football Complex and Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The news was announced by athletic director Keith Carter at an annual reunion of the 1967 Ole Miss freshman team that Manning attends in Oxford, Mississippi.

Archie Manning built an enduring legacy in football not only as a great quarterback but also by developing two other generations of outstanding quarterbacks. But despite the family name remaining very prominent and alive in football due to his sons Peyton Manning and Eli Manning and his grandson and Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, the Rebels want to keep it immortalized at Oxford.

Manning played for the Rebels between 1968 and 1970 under coach Johnny Vaught, leading the program to a 22-10-1 record. During his stint with the program, he recorded 56 touchdowns—a school record at the time—4,753 passing yards and 5,567 yards of total offense. His displays earned him a place as a finalist in the 1969 (4th) and 1970 (3rd) Heisman Trophy voting, and a College Football Hall of Fame induction in 1989.

While there were no championships to mark his time with the Rebels, the honor he has in Mississippi is for his brilliant individual performances and the impact he had on fans at a time when the program suffered a trophy drought. For several college football programs, like Florida, most athletes who get statues are mainly past Heisman Trophy winners, which made it more surprising for Manning.

“I was surprised and shocked and honored,” Manning said. “I don’t know if it’s set in yet. Ole Miss has been such a huge part of my life,” he said. “I grew up 80 miles away just worshiping Ole Miss football and Ole Miss quarterbacks. I’m proud that I’ve been able to stay close to Ole Miss, (even with) not living in Mississippi.”

Archie Manning was so passionate about the team that he famously played with a broken arm in a cast in their 1969 Sugar Bowl 27-22 victory against Arkansas. He ended up winning the MVP award after recording 312 yards of total offense. At the end of his college football career, Manning was drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in the first round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints.

Before now, Manning has been honored by the Rebels, who named the practice ground of the football team “Olivia and Archie Manning Athletics Performance Center.” Aside from this, the speed limit signs on the Oxford campus are 18 miles per hour, which is a callback to Manning’s jersey number during his collegiate career.