Arch Manning's surprising NIL strategy despite $6.8 million valuation

Although Arch Manning has started just two games entering his redshirt sophomore season, the former five-star phenom leads all college athletes with a $6.8 million NIL valuation.

His recruiting profile and unique family legacy make Manning the biggest name in college football, where star players can demand millions in NIL payouts on a yearly basis. However, the new Texas starting quarterback intentionally took a back seat to his teammates before this year.

And part of the reasoning for that approach stemmed from the advice of his grandfather, College Football Hall of Fame quarterback and former No. 2 overall NFL Draft pick Archie Manning.

"He (Manning) did not immediately seek endorsement deals as his peers did," S. C. Gwynne wrote for Texas Monthly. "There were several reasons for that. Arch’s family is well-off... Another reason was his grandfather’s advice not to do it."

Manning could have easily jump started his NIL portfolio after joining the Longhorns as the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2023. But he chose to take a slower path in hopes to leave those opportunities for other players who had solidified their worth.

“I didn’t want to be the guy rolling in with all this money when we have guys like Jake Majors who have 40 starts and not making any, and I’m taking all the money,” Manning said via ESPN this spring. “I wanted to earn my money, work hard, get to know the players, kind of earn my way up.”

After making 10 appearances and logging his first two starts in 2024, Manning began to accumulate major NIL partnerships, including Red Bull, Uber and Vuori. That list is likley to grow given the glowing opportunity that lies ahead this year.

Former starter Quinn Ewers is off to the NFL, leaving Manning the keys to Steve Sarkisian's offense at Texas. That new journey will begin when the Longhorns travel to defending national champion Ohio State for a College Football Playoff semifinal rematch.

Texas-Ohio State is slated for Aug. 30 at noon ET in Columbus (Fox).