Manning’s third generation of quarterbacks got their first starts Saturday, not only in Austin, where Arch was under center for Texas, but also in New Jersey.
“Arch isn’t the only Manning who got his first start today,” proud dad Eli wrote on social media alongside a clip of his six-year-old son Charlie playing flag football.
The former New York Giants player still lives in New Jersey, where Saturday’s video was likely filmed. The footage shows Charlie throwing the ball to a teammate who was completely unmarked after receiving some encouragement off-camera.
“It’s open,” a man is heard saying. “Throw it to him, Charlie.”
Arch, the son of Eli’s older brother Cooper, was filling in for injured Longhorns starter Quinn Ewers against unranked Louisiana State University Monroe on Saturday. And after shining off the bench for the No. 1 Texas team last week, Arch had an up-and-down game against the Warhawks.
Texas Longhorns’ Arch Manning greets fans on his way into the stadium on Saturday
Charlie Manning (No. 61) completed a pass in his first start, as seen in Eli’s footage
Arch Manning reacts after a rushing touchdown in the first quarter against UL Monroe
Manning threw the first two interceptions of his college career, but made up for those mistakes with a pair of touchdown passes and a brilliant 56-yard pass to Longhorns star receiver Isaiah Bond.
The 6-foot-4 Arch is the nephew of Super Bowl winners Eli and Peyton and grandson of former New Orleans Saints player Archie. Arch’s father, Cooper, is the oldest of Archie’s sons and once looked like a future NFL player before being diagnosed with spinal stenosis at Ole Miss, Archie’s and then Eli’s alma mater.
But the young Arch snubbed the Rebels (as well as Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Clemson and Virginia) in favor of the Longhorns, where he is considered the top recruit of coach Steve Sarkisian’s tenure in Austin.
Arch is the son of (from left) Cooper, nephew of Eli and Peyton, and grandson of Archie.
A fan holds a sign for Texas quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the first half on Saturday.
The 19-year-old followed in the footsteps of his father and uncles by attending Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, where the third-generation football star impressed just about everyone by being a four-year starter for the local powerhouse.
“He’s probably a little bit ahead of them as a freshman,” Archie Manning told the Indy Star in 2019, when asked to compare the young Arch to his uncles.
Despite his status as a top recruit, it wasn’t until last week that Arch got more time on the field. With Ewers recovering from an oblique injury, Manning threw for 223 yards and five touchdowns in a 56-7 win over the University of Texas at San Antonio.
He also had a 67-yard touchdown run, displaying some of Archie’s signature athleticism that skipped the Eli and Peyton generation.