Arch Manning explains why he waited to sign NIL deals: 'I wanted to earn my money'

Arch Manning arrived at Texas primed for NIL success. Even as a true freshman, he was one of the biggest names in the sport, following in the footsteps of his grandfather and uncles before him.

But Archie Manning made one thing clear. Arch wouldn’t sign NIL deals until he was the starter in Austin. Outside of an exclusive partnership with Panini America in 2023 and an appearance in the EA Sports College Football 25 video game, that was the case. He still remained a top name in college football as his On3 NIL Valuation surged to $6.6 million.

Now, Manning is getting ready to take over as Texas’ starter after Quinn Ewers’ departure. And on Thursday, Red Bull announced an NIL deal with Manning. It was a major foray into the space, and the rising junior’s mentality was simple when it came to playing the long game with NIL.

“I didn’t want to be the guy rolling in with all this money when we have guys like Jake Majors who have 40 starts here and not making any [and] I’m taking all the money,” Manning told ESPN’s Marty Smith. “I wanted to earn my money, work hard, get to know the players. Kind of earn my way up.”

Manning’s On3 NIL Valuation ranks as the top in college athletics. At $6.6 million, he sits at No. 1 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.

The partnership with Red Bull came about through Manning’s uncles. Peyton and Eli Manning have plenty of connections through their ventures, and they helped connect Arch with people in the NIL space. Red Bull then reached out, and the two sides moved forward from there.

Arch Manning shares how NIL impacts Texas locker room

Since NIL came to be in 2021, there’s been plenty of conversation about the impact it could have on locker rooms. From Arch Manning’s perspective, his Texas teammates support one another both on and off the field.

“I think at Texas, we’ve done a good job of it just because everyone wants everyone to do well and earn as much money as they can, while still wanting to win games and keeping it about the team as best we can,” Manning said. “As long as I don’t let it affect how I’m working and the team at all, I think it’s a really good thing.”

When it comes to playing football or navigating the NIL space, though, Manning recalled advice from his grandfather. Archie, of course, became a College Football Hall of Famer at Ole Miss and is considered one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the sport.

He saw what life was like in the spotlight. That’s why Archie had a strong, albeit straight-forward, message for Arch as he headed to college.

“Just to be a good guy,” Arch said. “At the end of the day, there’s a lot that comes with college football. He’s in the College Football Hall of Fame, so he knows what it’s all about. The cameras, the money, everything else, it’s just about playing the game and being a good teammate and working hard.”