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Texas Attracting Relatives of NFL and NBA Stars is Raising Eyebrows Across College Football
Texas Attracting Relatives of NFL and NBA Stars is Raising Eyebrows Across College Football originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Whether fans are ready or not, the next wave of athletes has a high chance of making one feel old.
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The athletes that many of us grew up watching now have children set to hit the college or professional ranks. While these players are scattered throughout the country, there seems to be a hotbed forming in Austin, Texas, at the most important position in football.
Following the departure of Quinn Ewers, who was drafted in the seventh round with the 231st overall pick by the Miami Dolphins, the Longhorns will turn to former five-star and No. 1 recruit in the 2023 class, Arch Manning. Although he has two starts under his belt, fans have long been clamoring for the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning to take over.
While the Manning name has plenty of notoriety, the Texas quarterback room has a chance to be headlined by the son of a former pro athlete for years to come.
The Longhorns hold a commitment from 2026 five-star Dia Bell, the son of former Phoenix Suns star and two-time All-NBA Defensive Team selection, Raja Bell. They are also in the mix for a 2027 four-star Gunner Rivers, who is the son of eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback, Philip Rivers.
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With Steve Sarkisian and Texas having a chance to obtain so much potential star power with famous relatives, fans online are taking notice.
"Which would be indicative of NFL QBs believing in Sark's QB development," pointed out one fan.
"That'd be insane," said another.
"I sense a pattern there 🤔," suspected a third.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning takes the field before his team's College Football Playoff game against the Clemson Tigers at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Dec. 21, Miron-Imagn Images
As it stands, Rivers doesn't hold an offer from the Longhorns, but the No. 1 player in Alabama did recently attend a camp.
"My first time here, it went well, enjoyed, and good talking to all the coaches," Gunner Rivers told On3 about his Longhorns visit. "I had a great time."
This past season for St. Michael Catholic, he threw for 3,927 yards and 36 touchdowns, leading his team to the semifinals of Alabama's 4A playoffs. As for Bell, he threw for 2,597 yards with 29 touchdowns while leading American Heritage to a 9-2 record before he suffered a season-ending injury in the playoffs.
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While there's a chance this quarterback succession of relatives of former pros doesn't happen, Texas is clearly on track to attract the biggest names for years to come.
Related: Rule of Legendary NFL Coach May Prevent Arch Manning From Entering 2026 NFL Draft
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
