Eli Manning has offered his first thoughts on the struggles of his nephew, Arch Manning, during the latter’s first spring game back in April.
Arch, the son of Eli and Peyton’s older brother, Cooper, is a five-star quarterback who announced his commitment to the Texas Longhorns last year. Fans got to see Arch in action for the first time during the Longhorns’ Orange-White spring game, where he completed five-of-13 pass attempts for 30 yards.
Speaking at the Manning Passing Academy (which the family leads at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana), Eli made it clear that he isn’t the least bit concerned about Arch’s struggles from the spring league game, via Nick Schultz of On3.com:
“For me, I don’t remember many of my spring games. I don’t remember many of my preseason games. Spring games, you can’t look too much into it.
“I know, for him, it’s about getting in there. Getting into practices, getting in the weight room, learning the playbook. He was still a senior in high school when he went through that spring game. He’s got a lot to learn. But every rep’s important, every practice is important and he’ll just continue to get better and more comfortable.”
Indeed, it’s unfair to fully judge a player in his first tiny bits of college football action. Plus, Longhorns’ head coach Steve Sarkisian already made it clear that Quinn Ewers will be the starting signal-caller in 2023.
As such, Manning is unlikely to see any meaningful action during his first collegiate season. Ewers will likely declare for the NFL Draft next year, and that would open the door for Manning to take over as the Longhorns’ starting quarterback in 2024. So yes, patience with Arch is a virtue
