College Football

Arch Manning hasn't accepted NIL money, according to Texas coach Steve Sarkisian

Updated Apr. 26, 2023 6:11 p.m. ET

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There might be no player in college football wIth more value in name, image and likeness than Arch Manning. But the young Texas quarterback hasn't taken advantage of that yet, at least according to his coach.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Wednesday that Manning has yet to accept any money for NIL.

"Everybody is under this assumption that this was an NIL deal for him to come to the University of Texas. It was absolutely not," Sarkisian said of Manning's decision to come to Texas when speaking at a Houston Touchdown Club luncheon.

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Sarkisian also shared that Manning's father, Cooper, sent him a text following the quarterback's commitment to Texas to help dispel any notion that his son joined the Longhorns due to NIL money.

"If there’s a message to tell any of the other recruits who you’re recruiting is that Arch Manning is coming to Texas because he loves the University of Texas," Sarkisian said, quoting the message Cooper Manning sent him. "He loves the coaches and he loves the program. 

"This is not about NIL. He’s taken zero money from an NIL perspective."

Manning could be passing up on a lot of money by not accepting any NIL deals. He currently has an NIL valuation of $3.8 million, according to a report from On3.com in April. That's higher than any other college football player. It's also double the amount of any player aside from USC quarterback and reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams, who has a reported value of $2.6 million.

As Manning is supposedly leaving millions of dollars on the table, Sarkisian is happy that his family is making him prioritize his play on the field first before earning money.

"The beauty of it for us, his NIL value — whatever it is — his grandpa [Archie] won’t let him take any NIL money," Sarkisian said. "He said, ‘You can take money when you become a player and you start.'"

If Manning can't accept any NIL money until he starts, he might have to wait at least another year to start collecting checks. Sarkisian announced that Quinn Ewers would be the team's starting quarterback for 2023, which was expected.

Of course, things could always change during the season that presents Manning with an opportunity to start. But he's still not expected to start until 2024, when Ewers could possibly enter the NFL Draft.

Even though Manning isn't expected to start this season, Sarkisian is hoping that the quarterback is driven by being put into a role as a backup.

"I hope not," Sarkisian said when asked if Manning would be patient at the luncheon. "I want him to be scratching at the surface every chance that he can get to be more than that. When we accept our role that way, that’s a problem."

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