The NFL over the past 20 years has had a plethora of quarterbacks that we’ve been so accustomed to as long-time fans, seeing them play on Sundays. You think of the Tom Brady’s, the Aaron Rodgers’, and the Drew Brees’ of the world as some of the biggest names in the sport. However, you cannot forget about the two brothers that have stepped foot on the gridiron for so many years in the Manning brothers. Peyton and Eli have been two of the most polarizing figures in the sport and both have had very successful NFL careers. Not to mention Archie Manning who was an NFL quarterback back in the 70s and 80s for the New Orleans Saints. The Manning family bloodline is rich in football history and is seen as a top-of-the-line bloodline in the sports world. Anyone else to come after them has big shoes to fill, which happens to be the case with another Manning looking to make a name for himself.
Arch Manning, who is the nephew of Peyton and Eli and the grandson of Archie, has a chance to carry on the Manning family legacy as his young career progresses. Manning is the #1 ranked quarterback in the 2023 high school class according to 24/7 sports composite, playing for Isidore Newman High School in Louisiana where Peyton and Eli also played their high school ball. Manning in two seasons with the team currently has a win-loss record of 18-3 and has thrown a total of 4,360 yards with a 55:14 touchdown to interception ratio.
You would think with having three NFL quarterbacks in your family, Manning would soak in as much information as he can, which he does. Manning watches his uncles and his grandfather to pick up on things that they do to improve himself as a player. “They’re the ultimate competitors. I mean the way they go about their business, Peyton the way he attacks the film room and outside of football, and then Eli the way he can be clutch and never really get fazed, I look up to that a lot and take after that. My grandfather especially, he’s a little different with the way he played quarterback from his two sons, he can scramble around the pocket, and how he kind of respects the game. He’s been around a while and keeps up with everyone and he’s just a great guy and great guy to have in the football community.”
His name has been hot lately because he has begun to visit more schools with him previously having visits with Eli’s alma mater, Ole Miss and LSU. Manning has visits lined up with SMU, Texas, Alabama, and Georgia along with him wanting to visit Stanford, USC, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Virginia, and North Carolina among others. The first school Manning visited this past weekend was Clemson where a viral video was shown of Manning making a beautiful throw inside of Clemson’s practice facility.
Manning, based on reports from 24/7 Sports Director Steve Wiltfong, seemed to enjoy his visit with Clemson and was impressed by the culture that they have, how Clemson can graduate players, and how he had to earn his scholarship from Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney with his workout.
As Manning’s visits continue to happen we will begin to see where the crystal ball has him at of where he wants to go but based on everything coming out of Clemson, Manning seems to be very excited about Clemson being one of his choices which bodes well for the Tigers having a real chance of being fortunate enough to receive a commitment from Manning. Manning has also received scholarship offers according to The Athletic from schools like Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, Stanford, and Texas.
Manning though has kept his options completely open. In an interview with The Athletic, Manning stated that he is “wide wide open” in terms of where he decides to play his college ball. His father Cooper Manning also told The Athletic the same thing regarding where his son is currently at. "He is going into everything wide-eyed and excited to meet people and develop relationships. He’s starting to figure out what he likes and what he doesn’t like in terms of the offenses and the systems. He’s looking forward to getting a better feel for the schools and their atmospheres."
The hype is out of control for Manning, which I think is a lot of pressure for a 15-16-year-old but Manning, from what I can see, has a really good head on his shoulders. He operates already as a professional which for an upcoming junior in high school is very impressive. His uncles have certainly always been very professional with the media and how they carry themselves which luckily, Manning has also incorporated at such an early age. Hearing him talk about his upcoming junior season, he just seems to say the right things. “I think going into junior year even being more of a leader, I’m just really excited. I want to take full command of the huddle and be a leader on and off the field and the ultimate goal is to win and get the ball in the end zone. That’s what we’re looking for more of.”
Look for Manning’s commitment to be one of the most hyped commitments in recent history. He currently has a list of 14 colleges on his 24/7 sports profile and still has plenty of more visits this month.