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Brother of Arch Manning Makes Surprising Admission About Recruiting Battle

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By J.C. Shelton | Last updated Feb 13, 2025 6:15 PM ET

Arch Manning and NIL are often pieced together when talking about the star quarterback, but that might have not played as big of factor in his recruitment as some believe.

Manning signed with the Texas Longhorns out of the 2023 class as the second-highest rated recruit in program history. The five-star dual-threat passer was rated as the No. 1 recruit in the country (247Sports).

Before Manning joined head coach Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns, he took three official visits to Georgia, Alabama and Texas, the only visits of his high-profile recruitment.

Those major programs could afford Manning, who now boasts the nation's top NIL valuation ($6.6 million via On3). However, according to his brother, Heid Manning, money was not a topic of discussion when coming out of Isidore Newman (New Orleans).

"I remember him asking a lot of questions away from football," Heid Manning said via 247Sports. "Nothing about NIL dollars or the NFL."

Surprisingly, Heid Manning recalled his brother asking questions in regards to his privacy rather than how much money he could earn, or the NFL development he could receive.

"He was asking, 'Am I going to be able to get away and maybe go somewhere where people don't recognize me as much?'" he said. "And out of Athens, Tuscaloosa and Austin, it's easily Austin for that."

After visiting with UGA's Kirby Smart and Nick Saban's Alabama, Manning took his visit to Texas and committed to the program six days later.

Privacy may be harder to find for Arch Manning this year, as he now holds the keys to the Texas offense after the departure of starter Quinn Ewers to the NFL.

Manning showed glimpses of his unique talent as a redshirt freshman, going 2-0 as a starter while totaling 969 passing yards with nine touchdowns to two interceptions in 10 appearances. He also added 108 yards with four touchdowns on the ground.

Manning and the Longhorns will begin their quest to return to the College Football Playoff with a massive test against defending national champion Ohio State in the season opener on Aug. 30.

The two previously squared off in the Cotton Bowl semifinal, a 28-14 win by the Buckeyes.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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