David Cutcliffe Tells Crazy Arch Manning Recruiting Story

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning is no stranger to the spotlight or to the pressure that surrounds it.

The fame associated with his last name has made him a well-known figure within the football community for quite some time now, but some were definitely earlier than others to put Manning on their radars. 

David Cutcliffe and the Manning family

David Cutcliffe, who coached both Peyton and Eli Manning during his career, actually recognized an opportunity to make a connection with Arch during his infancy.

"I sent Arch scholarship papers the day he was born," Cutcliffe told Horns247. "I was the head coach at Ole Miss when he was born, so I had a courier take the scholarship papers to his father, Cooper, at the hospital."

Cutcliffe served as Peyton’s offensive coordinator at Tennessee from 1994 to 1997 and as Eli’s head coach and offensive play caller at Ole Miss from 2000 to 2003. Arch was born in April of 2004, a time period in which the Manning family would’ve been fresh on Cutcliffe’s mind. 

He established a close relationship with the family, and Cooper Manning confirmed he did in fact send papers to the hospital after Arch’s birth. 

"He sure did," Cooper Manning said. "David has been a great friend to me. I have so much respect for him as a coach, as a teacher and as a man."

Cutcliffe had a long tenure as a college coach, with his most notable title following his time at Tennessee and Ole Miss, being head coach at Duke from 2008 to 2021. Now, he works as a special assistant to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey on football relations.

In all his years of involvement in the college football community, Cutcliffe hasn’t seen a kind of pressure that equates to what Arch faces ahead of this season.

"I don't know of any young quarterback that's ever had more pressure on him," he said. 

This pressure isn’t new, as evidenced by both the headlines he has made in the past few years and the fact that the head coach of an SEC football team sent scholarship papers to the hospital when he was born. However, as he gets closer and closer to his debut as a starter, expectations only rise. 

It’s also worth noting that his opening game this season will be on the road against the Ohio State Buckeyes. This rematch of last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal will mark a challenging first test for the redshirt sophomore, but it could help him prove right off the bat that he is capable of leading this team this year. 

As Cutcliffe affirmed, the pressure is on, but Arch has a support system in his corner and a team with several talented playmakers surrounding him.