Arch Manning will follow the legacy of Archie, Peyton and Eli in his first start

Arch Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, will suit up for the first-place Texas Longhorns on Saturday when they face the UL Monroe Warhawks.

Manning will step in at quarterback for Quinn Ewers, who is recovering from an oblique abdominal muscle injury sustained in the second quarter of Texas’ 56-7 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners.

When Manning entered the game in Week 3 to replace the injured Ewers, he was ready for the moment. The 19-year-old posted 223 passing yards, 53 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said the true freshman always prepares as if he were a starter.

Arch comes from a family of football greats. His grandfather Archie’s No. 18 jersey was retired by Ole Miss, and his uncles Peyton (Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos) and Eli (New York Giants) have won Super Bowls.

This is how other members of the Manning family fared in their first college appearance.

Archie, Ole Miss

116 yards, 3 TD, 21-7 win over Memphis

Arch’s first college appearance is especially significant because it comes exactly 56 years after his grandfather’s, according to ESPN Research. In Archie’s first appearance, he completed 8 of 14 passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns, as well as scoring a rushing touchdown to lead Ole Miss to a 21-7 victory over the Memphis Tigers.

Peyton, Tennessee

79 yards, 10-9 win over Washington State

Peyton began his college career as the third quarterback, waiting for his chance to play as a starter. Like Arch, Peyton’s first start came due to injuries to Jerry Colquitt and Todd Helton. In his first start against the Washington State Cougars as a freshman, Peyton performed excellently and made no costly mistakes. He led Tennessee to a 10-9 victory, completing 7 of 14 passes for 79 yards.

Eli, Ole Miss

271 yards, 5 TDs, 49-14 win over Murray State

Although expectations were high for Eli to follow in his father’s footsteps at Ole Miss, he began his college career as a backup to Romaro Miller. Eli appeared in five games in his freshman season and threw for 170 total yards.

Eli’s first start came in the season opener of his sophomore season. He completed 20 of 23 passes for 271 yards with five touchdowns against the Murray State Racers. His performance set a school record for most consecutive passing yards by completing 18 in a row between the first and third quarters. Matt Corral broke the record in 2020.