Arch Manning Plays Most Like Grandfather Archie, Eli Manning Says

Arch Manning has gotten plenty of attention throughout his high school career thanks in large part to his family’s impressive quarterback bloodlines. However, the Texas commit’s game doesn’t really resemble that of his two famous uncles—Peyton and Eli Manning—too much, Eli told the New York Post Wednesday.

Instead, he plays more like his grandfather Archie Manning, the Ole Miss and Saints legend for whom he was named. While Peyton and Eli were known for their presence in the pocket, their father was known for his elusiveness. 

“He’s more athletic than Peyton or I,” Eli said. “Maybe a little bit bigger than Peyton or I, and so I think he’s got the ability to scramble around and run around—probably more similar to my dad [Archie] than Peyton or I.”

Arch has made the same comparison in the past. In an interview with 247Sports in March 2021, he said that he watches film on all three of the other star quarterbacks in his family, and draws on that mobility that his grandfather brought to the game.

“They’re the ultimate competitors,” the young Manning said. “I mean the way they go about their business, Peyton the way he attacks the film room and outside of football and then Eli the way he can be clutch and never really get fazed, I look up to that a lot and take after that. My grandfather especially, he’s a little different with the way he played quarterback from his two sons, he can scramble around the pocket and how he kind of respects the game.”

Manning, the No. 10 player in the SI99 preseason rankings updated Tuesday, gave his long-awaited commitment to Texas in June.

• Longhorns Country: Bijan Robinson, Xavier Worthy, Preseason All-Americans 

For more Texas coverage, go to Longhorns Country.