Back in January, the world was put on alert that another Manning quarterback was on the way in 13-year-old Arch Manning, the son of Cooper Manning, grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, and nephew of two more NFL quarterbacks, Eli and Peyton Manning.
In August, Arch Manning, now 14, made his high school varsity debut at quarterback for Isidore Newman School in New Orleans. And he killed.
Arch, a freshman, led Isidore Newman, where another famous NFL player, Odell Beckham, Jr., also happened to play, to a 41-15 victory with a passing stat line of 22-of-34 for 224 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
“He doesn’t look like a freshman. That maturity and how you handle those tight moments are where the greatness can come,” said his coach Nelson Stewart after the game.
With that start, the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Arch Manning became the first freshman to ever start at quarterback for Newman. Not even his famous uncles Eli and Peyton did that.
Now, with his first high school season almost complete, Jeff Duncan of The Athletic decided to check in and see how things have gone for Arch since that auspicious debut.
Shocker: it’s gone very, very well.
Manning has gone 173-of-267 passing for 2,055 yards and 28 touchdowns, and his team, Isidore Newman, currently sits at 8-1, ranked #4 in the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 2A state poll.
“I’ve seen guys who were very, very athletic at quarterback, but I can’t remember a guy like this at his age that could stand in the pocket and deliver like he can. He’s got the poise and the accuracy of a Joe Burrow already at a very, very young age. His mechanics are superb. There’s not much to correct with him,” said St. Charles Catholic head coach Frank Monica, who has been coaching high school and college football players for 49 years.
He also conducts himself on the field very much like his famous uncles.
“He almost never celebrates unless it’s a big moment,” said the team’s star wide receiver Jarmone Sutherland.
During games, Manning often stands by himself near the back of the bench, intently plotting his upcoming offensive series. When the Greenies break through the green Newman banner in the end zone at Michael Lupin Field before each game, Manning purposefully stays at the back of the pack and brings up the rear of the pregame charge. When he throws a touchdown pass, he typically walks straight off the field to Stewart on the sideline while his teammates celebrate in the end zone.
“He’s going to be a star, there’s no way around it,” said Sam Spiegelman, a talent scout at Rivals.com and Yahoo Sports. “He’s doing things as a freshman that he shouldn’t be doing.”
Newman varsity basketball coach Randy Livingston, the 1993 Gatorade National Player of the Year – the year before Peyton won it for football, who will also be coaching Arch on the hardwood, said, “I’ve told Archie and Cooper this and I’m being honest: At the same age, he’s better than Eli and Peyton — and it’s not even close. And that’s scary. Very scary.”
Very scary indeed.
Check out the entire very in-depth story about “The Next Manning” over at The Athletic.com.