As one of the highest-touted prospects in recent memory, Texas QB Arch Manning is set to rake it in via NIL. Boardroom breaks down how much he’s worth without even playing a collegiate down.
Arch Manning is not your typical college football freshman.
First of all, the dude just turned 18 years old, yet all eyes turn to him when he walks around the Texas campus after he enrolled early for the spring semester. Second, the hyped No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023 grew up around some of the best to ever play under center as the nephew of longtime NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning. Third, Manning is already valued as a multi-million dollar athlete, per On3.com.
The five-star recruit is expected to be the one that finally leads the Longhorns to “being back,” but we’ll see how it plays out on the field. For now, let’s break down the early Arch Manning NIL story at Texas, which will surely fluctuate throughout his tenure in Austin.
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Arch Manning NIL Market Value
All data via On3.com’s NIL rankings as of Aug. 23, 2023.
College football NIL rank: 1
Overall NIL rank: 3
Annual valuation: $2,900,000
10-week high: $2,900,000
10-week low: $2,800,000
Total followers: 268,000
The above monetary figures are via On3’s NIL Valuation, a proprietary algorithm that “establishes the overall NIL market and projected 12-month growth rate by measuring two categories, Brand Value Index and Roster Value Index.”
“While the algorithm includes deal data, it does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals athletes have completed to date, nor does it set an athlete’s NIL valuation for their entire career.”
Manning topped the new college football NIL rankings when On3.com updated them for the new year, and he remains there just a month before the 2023 college football season kicks off. His $2.9 million valuation is not a monetary figure that he’s already earned, but rather a projection of what he can possibly make while in Austin. That number is higher than Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams ($2.6 million).
To put things into further context, current Longhorn QB Quinn Ewers was also the No. 1 recruit in his graduating class, although he didn’t come with nearly the same fanfare that Manning has. Still, Ewers is a local kid who has a ton of NIL appeal to the Longhorns and the Austin area. How much is his current valuation? “Just” $1.2 million.
That figure is nothing to sneeze at, but it should illustrate just how much Manning stands to make as a college athlete.
Notable Arch Manning Deals
Panini America
Before getting into this Panini deal, a reminder: While Manning’s valuation sits near a cool $3 million, let’s remember that this is simply a projection. In fact, many experts believe he’s worth more than that. Additionally, because he’s a fresh face on campus and because Texas is weird, Manning hadn’t announced any public NIL deals up until recently, though the behind-the-scenes negotiations have likely been taking place for some time. I mean, you don’t spend nearly $300K on a high school kid for one weekend if there aren’t further investments either already in place or ready to roll upon his arrival.
Anyway, back to Manning’s deal with Panini, which is an exclusive multiyear trading card partnership that will include auctioning off a 1-of-1 Arch Manning Throwback Prizm Black Autographed card. The entirety of the proceeds will go toward charity, specifically benefitting children and their families in Central Texas with support from St. David’s HealthCare and St. David’s Foundation.
“Getting my first Panini trading card is something I couldn’t have imagined growing up,” Manning said. “Working with Panini to have my first trading card benefit the larger community is special. Helping children live healthy and fulfilling lives is something that has always been important to my family.”
With the dams open, deals will continue to roll out for Manning, and they’ll likely be with some of the biggest sponsor names in CFB. He’ll also likely take advantage of the cult-like following the Longhorns have in Texas with numerous local deals as well.
