Arch looks to create his own legacy

The name Manning has been a household name for over half a century.

Archie Manning was the first Manning to get the wheels going in this family. Archie started as Quarterback for Ole Miss for three seasons(1968-1970). At Ole Miss, he threw for 4,754 yards and 31 touchdowns. But Archie didn’t have the greatest supporting cast in Oxford, most of the teams he played for were not that great. And Unfortunately, that carried over to the NFL where he played ten seasons for the New Orleans Saints and where 9/10 years his teams were last or next to last place.

Archie and his wife Olivia have three sons- Cooper, Peyton, and Eli.

Cooper is the eldest and he was a highly sought after high school prospect and he eventually chose to play at Ole Miss like his father, Archie. Sadly, after a few weeks of Fall practice his freshman year, Cooper was diagnosed with spinal stenosis which ended his football career.

Archie’s other two well-known sons, Peyton and Eli, went on to have very successful college and professional careers and to this today are regarded as one of the finest Quarterbacks in the history of the game.

But that is ancient history…

Today, there is a new Manning looking to carve his own path.

Arch Manning, the son of Cooper, grandson of Archie, and nephew of Peyton and Eli, is the next Manning who is looking to make a name for himself.

And can I just say, he’s off to a great start.

Like a lot of high school football players, Arch has a few social media accounts, but he’s very low key. He doesn’t post often and he doesn’t update his status..until something big happens, like committing to where he is going to attend college!

On June 23, the internet/social media outlets went berserk! Arch Manning, the #1 high school recruit for the class of 2023 committed to the University of Texas. That’s right, not Ole Miss like his Daddy or Grandaddy or Uncle Eli, not Tennessee like Uncle Peyton, but Texas!

That tells me that Arch is a special young man. He could have followed the family legacy, but going to Texas sends the message that he has his own agenda and that is fine with me.

The past decade has not been kind to Texas. Other than a Sugar Bowl win a few years ago, they have struggled to be relevant since their National Championship appearance against Alabama back in 2010. Then head coach Mack Brown had a lot to do with that. He won a national championship in 2005 with Vince Young but the SEC has been the conference to win the big trophy since then and I believe Texas has struggled to get key recruits because of the SEC’s recent run of success. However, that should change soon with the Longhorns joining the conference in a few years.

And ever since Arch committed, Texas is now currently ranked in the top 5 for the 2023 class.

Arch is the number one player in this class for a reason. He’s got a great arm, he’s got a nice frame -6’4, 215 lbs, and he can move! That’s right, a Manning with wheels. That should scare opposing defenses. He’s also got that Manning pocket awareness where if he sees trouble, he can call an audible or scramble for extend a play. And he’s also hard to take down. Check out his film from last season: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWVQF5_gkfk&t=122s

He’s the real deal and I believe when it’s all said and done, he will be a special player at Texas and long after that in the NFL.

From what his high school coach at Isidore Newman in New Orleans says about him, Arch is a very humble, mild manner kid. That is a Manning quality and he can’t shake that off, but it will help him when the accolades start pouring in, because the last thing you want to see is a young player believe he’s too good for his own hype.