Experts say Arch Manning joining Twitter boosts NIL value

Arch Manning already has one of the strongest NIL brands in the country, with an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.6 million. But experts say the Five-Star Plus+ quarterback’s value has grown even more robust thanks to the recent launch of a verified Twitter account.

Savvy college football followers have known for a few weeks that Manning had the Twitter account. But it somehow was flying under the radar from a national standpoint. That changed Monday when No. 2 running back Rueben Owens made sure folks knew where to find Manning.

My guy got a Twitter @ArchManning 👀 pic.twitter.com/AYvvLo4LbD

— Rueben Owens ll #4soCr4zy (@ii_rueben) March 28, 2022

And it didn’t take long to see the power of Arch Madness.

After starting with a little more than 400 followers on March 22, Arch Manning now has more than 6,300 followers (and growing) for an increase of more than 1,200% over the past week.

Some of the followers include coaches and support staff from the top schools on his list. For example, Georgia coach Kirby Smart, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, numerous Alabama player personnel and recruiting staffers, Florida offensive coordinator Rob Sale, and a good list of LSU and Ole Miss assistants and staffers monitor the account now. According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Texas Longhorns slightly lead in his recruitment over Alabama and Georgia.

Arch Manning’s Twitter launch is NIL-focused

Arch Manning has yet to tweet out of the account. He’s also not retweeted, replied or liked a tweet. One SEC recruiting coordinator told On3 that it’s clear Manning isn’t using Twitter as a recruiting tool.

“Most recruits use Twitter as a form of direct communication with coaches,” the recruiter said. “Or they post stuff about visits. But that’s not the case with Arch. He’s definitely not using this to text with coaches. He’s got a private Instagram account with only five posts. He has a TikTok account that he’s not shared anything on since 2021.

“This is 1,000% a NIL play.”

Two leading NIL experts agree the launch of the Twitter account was done with Arch Manning’s brand in mind. And that it’s a verified account is important in the NIL market.

“When a Twitter account is verified, it lets users know an account is authentic and not run by an impersonator,” said Mit Winter, a sports attorney at Kansas City-based Kennyhertz Perry LLC. “It also shows that an account has authentic value.”

Blake Lawrence, the co-founder and CEO of Opendorse, agrees with Winter’s assessment.

“Athletes with verified social media accounts have instant credibility with potential brand partners,” said Lawrence, a former four-star recruit who played at Nebraska before starting Opendorse, a NIL technology provider with more than 70,000 clients and relationships with hundreds of professional and college sports programs.

“The verified ‘badge’ does two things for an athlete. No. 1, it increases their likelihood to be selected by a brand partner. No. 2, it increases the amount they are able to charge brand partners.”

Manning’s brand going to only get stronger

Arch Manning, who stars for New Orleans Isidore Newman, already has an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.6 million. He also has an On3 Per Post Value of $5.1K on Instagram, $3.1K on TikTok and $3.1K on Twitter.

The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

The NIL experts believe that valuation should climb now that Manning has launched the Twitter account.

“I think the fact his Twitter account is now verified will strengthen his ability to obtain NIL deals and also increase the value of those deals,” Winter said. “These are things that will attract brands to Arch. And when they reach out to discuss a deal, the verified status can be used as leverage in negotiating a more lucrative deal.”