Arch Manning Channels Inner Tom Brady With Selfless NIL Decision

In today's day and age of college football, the landscape of the sport has dramatically changed.

Now, instead of loyalty, coaches are forced to battle against the tampering of their best players in order to keep them from entering the portal for a big pay day.

And, as has been seen with USC and Texas A&M, players are also now announcing contract extensions to simply forgo that portal temptation, and stay with the school they are currently playing for.

Fortunately - and refreshingly - Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning is taking a different approach.

According to reports from Inside Texas reporter Justin Wells, Manning is set to take a reduced payment from the Longhorns' 2026 revenue-sharing pool in order to free up money to help his team both retain its own star players, as well as attack the transfer portal to improve the roster for a 2026 championship run.

A Tom Brady-Like Approach From Arch Manning

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning looks to make a pass in the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

This move is eerily reminiscent of former NFL superstar Tom Brady, who was famous for taking pay cuts throughout his career in order to help his team acquire players in free agency in hopes of winning a championship.

Dallas Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki also took a similar approach during his time in the NBA, helping Mark Cuban to add firepower to the roster by taking a massive pay cut.

The only difference is that this is college football, and in an era of a 'look at me and my bank account' mentality from the vast majority of college football, Manning's selfless approach is a sight for sore eyes.

Manning Selfless Despite Elite Season

This is especially true considering the fact that Manning deservedly earned a major pay raise in his first season as the starter, completing 227 of 370 passes for 2,942 yards and 24 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He also rushed for 244 yards and led the Longhorns with eight rushing touchdowns, and had a receiving touchdown, accounting for 33 total scores for the season.

And, he was able to do all of that behind a leaky offensive line that ranked 67th in the country in pass blocking grade per PFF, while allowing 159 total pressures and 22 sacks - numbers that could have been much higher if Manning did not have such elite pocket presence and escapability. Not to mention, the offense being encumbered by the worst rushing attack the school had since 1944.

But instead of using that as leverage, like so many other players in the sport, Manning is giving Texas the Brady treatment - allowing them more money to dedicate towards NIL in the transfer portal in hopes of bringing in help to fix the team's issues up front on the offensive line and in the running game, with potentially multiple additions at the running back spot.

Not to mention, it potentially allows Texas to make some major improvements at wide receiver, linebacker, and defensive back.

His decision also makes it much easier for Texas retain current players on the roster, who have no doubt been receiving tampering-level overtures from other schools and agents.

And it will be made possible in part thanks to a selfless act from Manning, who has now made he desire to win a national championship quite clear.