by Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning cheers on his nephew Arch Manning as he pursues a football career and breaks the records he and his brother Peyton Manning set at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans. In an interview with CBS Sports HQ, the two-time Super Bow champion said he looks forward to seeing Arch raise the bar even higher.
Arch, the No. 1 overall quarterback in the class of 2023; broke his high school’s passing record on September 30. The 18-year-old’s next goal is the Louisiana state championship, something his famous uncles didn’t do.
“He’s already broken all of our records at Newman, so he might as well go ahead and try to be the first to win a state championship as well,” Manning said. “That was his goal and I’m proud of him for how he handled this whole situation.”
The five-star recruit committed to Texas in June after a visit in which the The Longhorns spent nearly $280,000 in three days to impress him and other recruits. The high price was worth it because, according to CBS college football writer Barrett Salleehe was the most sought-after recruiting prospect after Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields.
Manning said Arch didn’t want to extend his decision because he wanted to focus on playing well for his current team.
“He loves his teammates, he loves playing high school football. He wanted to make a decision early on where he’s going to go to school so he can just focus on playing football and winning games for Newman and trying to get to the state championship,” Manning said. he told CBS Sports HQ.
He also discussed the trash talk among his family members when it comes to college football. He went to Ole Miss while his older brother Peyton went to Tennessee.
“Honestly we all root for each other’s colleges … It’s all support until they have to play each other,” Manning said, adding that he will continue to cheer for Arch as a Longhorn. Matchups against Ole Miss and Tennessee are expected to be in the cards for Texas, with the school joining the Rebels and Volunteers in the SEC in 2025.
In the same interview, Manning also touched on the Giants’ 4-1 start this season. He said they are playing “smart football” and credited quarterback Daniel Jones for making good decisions at critical moments.
Manning was later asked about the recent playful banter with Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson. He said it was all in good fun and he has a lot of respect for Wilson.
“I think he’s one of the top players in the NFL,” Manning said. “I’ve known him a long time, since he was in college. I’m rooting for him all the time, pulling for him. I know he plays hurt, he plays hard. They’re going to do well. Because he’s a really good player.”
