Why has Manning stayed put?
“I think Arch is a patient kid and looks at the big picture,” his dad, Coo- per Manning, told the American- Statesman on Friday. “He’s a happy col- lege student at the University of Texas. So, I think that’s — when he was look- ing at where to go to school, it was ‘Where am I going to be happy? Where am I going to make great friends? Where am I going to enjoy being when football is not necessarily everything?’ I think that’s had a big impact on his patience level.”
Forging new friendships at Texas
Manning’s interview sessions tend to skip the X’s and O’s. Instead, they sometimes develop into discussions of the relationships Cooper encouraged his son to value when choosing where to spend his college years.
Meeting the press for roughly 20 minutes at the Manning Passing Acad- emy over the weekend, Manning high- lighted his friendship with UT wide re- ceiver Ryan Wingo, who invited Man- ning to one of his camps back home in St. Louis this summer.
“I knew he would do the same for me,” Manning said.
Then came a question about Trevor Goosby, the favorite to protect Man- ning’s blind side at left tackle in 2025, replacing first-round NFL draft choice Kelvin Banks Jr. Manning and Goosby played basketball together this offsea- son, the quarterback revealed. Goosby also is doing some recruiting legwork for new Texas men’s basketball coach Sean Miller. Goosby’s younger brother, Austin, is one of the top 40 players in the Class of 2026 and holds an offer from the Longhorns.
“We’re trying to get him to Texas,” Manning said.
Preparing to lead
In 233 snaps last season, Manning flashed the tools that make him the bet- ting favorite to hear his name called first overall in next spring’s draft.
In his time in front of the micro- phone this offseason, Manning has shown glimpses of charisma and a feel
that could help him win over a Texas locker room that is now his to com- mand.
He acknowledged in April that it was likely “pretty annoying” for Quinn Ew- ers to have to cope with having Man- ning — and the media circus that ac- companies him — as a backup. Last week, he drew laughs with a few light jabs at his grandfather, Archie, and his age. He spun a tale of his venture to Walmart with LSU quarterback Gar- rett Nussmeier and admitted that the Raising Cane’s, McDonald’s and crab legs he chowed down on while visiting Louisiana haven’t been great for his di- et.
There might not be a more famous college football player in the country. Still, Manning doesn’t mind sharing a bit of himself with the public.
“That’s an adjustment, knowing that a lot of eyes are on you, and he knows that he’s representing his university and his teammates and his family, and
so that’s always been pretty easy for him,” Cooper said. “Keep trying to be a good guy, that comes naturally for him. It’s an adjustment anytime people want to take pictures with you all the time. It’s just part of the deal. So you just do the best you can to surround yourself with good folks who keep you ground- ed and good friends that you know are there for you no matter what.”
But, even off the field, Manning is still learning.
This spring, Texas coach Steve Sarki- sian challenged him to assert himself more as a leader.
“He doesn’t have to wait,” Sarkisian said.
Between the white lines, too, Man- ning receives reminders that help him stave off any sense of satisfaction that he’s arrived.
“Whenever I think I got a handle on something, the next day I throw three picks,” Manning said, laughing. “I like to kind of stay right in the middle.