Peyton Manning details nephew Arch's ‘huge advantage' entering first season as Texas starter

New York Times

13 hours ago

Arch Manning season is approaching in Texas, and Uncle Peyton, like many college football fans, is looking forward to watching the action in Austin.
Five-time NFL MVP and two-time Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning joined Monday's episode of 'The Pat McAfee Show' and talked about his nephew Arch, who is entering his first season as a full-time starter at Texas. In Arch's two college football seasons, he's made two starts and mostly sat behind starter Quinn Ewers. That balancing act of quarterback talent is growing rarer in the time of college football's unlimited transfer portal, but Peyton said the familiarity Arch has with Texas's system will work to his advantage.
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'He's been patient,' Peyton said. 'I'm such a believer in mastering the system that you're in, and when you have new coordinators every single year in the NFL or college, that's just frustrating to me.
'The fact that (coach Steve) Sarkisian calls the plays and Arch has been there two years already and knows the system, that's going to be a huge advantage for him. I'm looking forward to seeing him get out there on the field. He's worked real hard.'
Arch ranked as the top prospect in the Class of 2023 and committed to Texas out of Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans. Arch's dad, Cooper Manning, is the eldest son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and brother of quarterback legends Eli and Peyton. Coming from one of the most famous families in football, Arch entered college in the spotlight, and the excitement around his abilities could bolster the Longhorns as a top team in preseason polls.
Peyton said he and Eli are resources for Arch, but Cooper was his true mentor, in everything from football prowess to the way the rising Manning star carries himself.
'The moxy, that was his dad,' Peyton said. 'Cooper was a cocky wide receiver that was open every time in the huddle, if you can imagine. I think my sophomore year of high school, Cooper was a senior, I think I completed 120 passes, and I think 90 of them were to my brother. He would have liked all 120.
'That little swagger comes from his dad.'
Arch attended the Manning Passing Academy, a four-day summer camp hosted by the Manning family, last week alongside fellow college football quarterbacks, including LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers. Peyton said he was impressed with the talent and said the quarterbacks in attendance 'make throws that I wouldn't even think about making.' He also pointed to a trait that could separate Arch's abilities from his famous uncles.
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'My dad's speed sort of skipped a generation, skipped me and Eli. I think Arch has that, which helps him,' Peyton said. 'But I still think with all quarterbacks we have to be able to throw from the pocket first and throw it on time and not take a lot of hits. That's what we talked about with all of them: know your system, know your answers, but then when it's time to make a play, go out there and make a play with your legs. I think (Arch) understands that.'
Texas kicks off its season at Ohio State on Aug. 30 in a rematch of last season's College Football Playoff semifinal. The first home game in Austin is Sept. 6 against San Jose State.