Quinn Ewers & Arch Manning's Sports Card Impact

Quinn Ewers will be heading to the NFL draft and we are finally going to see Arch Manning full time at Texas

April 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA: Texas Longhorns quarterbacks Arch Manning (16), left, and Quinn Ewers (3) throw passes while warming up ahead of the Longhorns' spring Orange and White game at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sara Diggins-Imagn Images via American Statesman / Sara Diggins/Imagn Images via American-Statesman

We are officially about to see a new Manning playing at the highest level in college football. Arch Manning, who was the backup quarterback at Texas behind Quinn Ewers, is set to take the spotlight now that Ewers has declared for the NFL Draft.

🤘🏼 pic.twitter.com/V5H8sJbaWM

— Quinn Ewers (@QuinnEwers) January 15, 2025

At the start of the football season, Panini announced an exclusive partnership with Texas, Ohio State, and Nebraska. Meaning they would be the only company to be able to make sports cards of players on those teams.

NIL Era Heisman Trophy Winner Cards

Panini America is launching an NIL platform next month, starting at Ohio State, Texas and Nebraska.

Athletes who participate in the program will receive compensation based on card sales. Cards for each player will be added as seasons begin.

More: https://t.co/bPiHkQRVux pic.twitter.com/0Vgo6nXY4h

— On3 NIL (@On3NIL) August 28, 2024

From a sports card perspective, this means a few things. If you're looking for Quinn Ewers sports cards, they will only be available through Panini, unlike many of his college counterparts who have Topps Bowman cards. The same applies to Arch Manning, but Panini has been preparing for Arch for quite some time.

Excited to announce my exclusive partnership with @paniniamerica! My first trading card is a Throwback Black Prizm 1of1 which is Live on Auction at https://t.co/BjuZUVtHhy All proceeds will benefit a nonprofit through St. David's Healthcare and St. David's Foundation. Bid Now! pic.twitter.com/ECGecqNA88

— Arch Manning (@ArchManning) July 25, 2023

Why Is Panini Putting The Rookie Logo On Non-Rookie Cards?

You have to go back to July 2023 to find the origins of Arch Manning’s partnership with Panini. They teamed up to release his first-ever sports cards, which were throwback Prizm cards featuring his autograph.

Arch Manning's first sports card / Image courtesy of Panini

With the rise of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), the college sports card market has seen an uptick. For years, college sports cards weren’t considered particularly desirable. This was partly because Panini, which owned the college license, would only release college products once players were drafted.

Now, Topps has found great success with its Bowman products by releasing cards of college players while they’re still in school. Panini, too, has adjusted its strategy for college products. For one of the first times, Panini released a product featuring both professional players and current college players in the same set.

🏈☑️ 2024 Panini National Treasures Collegiate Football checklist: https://t.co/JIpYdT3D7y 3collect #footballcards pic.twitter.com/4Pn2wfuMSX

— Ryan Cracknell (@tradercracks) November 1, 2024

Can Saquon Barkley Change The Landscape Of Football Cards?

Quinn Ewers, who led his team close to a National Championship game this year, was one of the standout college players featured in this product.

Currently, both Manning and Ewers appear in Panini collegiate products. Since Texas has an exclusive partnership with Panini, that is the only company producing licensed cards of these players. Topps may release unlicensed draft cards, but for now, Panini is the sole provider of their licensed cards.