- Arch Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, is heading to Texas.
- Manning is in line to earn a ton of NIL money, but won't be making it out of the gate.
In the world of college football, names don't get much bigger than Arch Manning.
As the nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning, Arch's football future has been the subject of intense focus since he was in middle school, and his recruiting process was closely followed across the country.
Ultimately, Manning made the decision to head to the University of Texas, where he will compete for the Longhorns.
Given how famous he already is, and with the huge booster dollars backing the Longhorns program, Arch positioned to be one of the highest earning college athletes in the age of Name, Image and Likeness rights.
But according to a report from Sam Khan Jr. at The Athletic, Arch won't be taking a penny in NIL money until he earns the starting job.
"Everybody is under this assumption that this was an NIL deal for him to come to the University of Texas. It was absolutely not," head coach Steve Sarkisian said while speaking at a Houston Touchdown Club luncheon, according to The Athletic.
According to Sarkisian, Arch's father Cooper Manning, brother to Peyton and Eli, texted the head coach with a clear message after Arch made his decision, saying "If there's a message to tell any of the other recruits who you're recruiting is that Arch Manning is coming to Texas because he loves the University of Texas. He loves the coaches and he loves the program. This is not about NIL. He's taken zero money from an NIL perspective."
It appears that Arch's grandfather Archie is behind the scheme. According to Sarkisian, Archie laid a clear line in the sand — no taking NIL money until you claim the starting job.
For Texas, the news likely comes as a relief. It's not hard to imagine some tensions in the locker room when the 18-year-old still on the bench is making life-changing money before he's even taken the field. If Archie's plan is implemented, Arch won't be cashing in until he's seen as the leader of the Longhorns.
As things stand, Arch is not expected to start at Texas as a true freshman, with Quinn Ewers currently at the top of the depth chart. That said, Arch is a huge name, and could compete for the job at any moment.
Eventually, Manning will make plenty of money through NIL deals. There's no shortage of Texas fans eager to support the Longhorns with their dollars, and with a name as famous as his, Manning won't have to do much to attract them.
If he can make Texas a real contender for the national championship, he'll become a hero of Texas football lore larger than what either of his famous uncles accomplished in college.
But Manning will have to wait a bit before the NIL money comes rolling in.