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Peyton Manning’s son, Marshall, has yet to play a single down of high school football. But the future Baylor School (TN) quarterback is already on the radar of college scouts across the country.
If he gets anywhere near the impossibly high expectations already placed on him, the Class of 2030 recruit will have offers from more or less every school in the nation, including Peyton’s alma mater, Tennessee.
But early on, it looks like one school that nobody would have predicted may already have a leg up in his recruitment.
Peyton Manning’s son Marshall working out in a Virginia Football shirt. pic.twitter.com/Xt5QIskl6a
— Jake Malasek (@jakemalasek) March 21, 2026
The Virginia Cavaliers Are A Surprise Candidate To Land Marshall Manning
The Virginia Cavaliers are far from a football powerhouse. In fact, the Cavs have never finished a season ranked in the top-10 in over 100 years of trying. But the program appears to be on the rise under head coach Tony Elliott after reaching the ACC Championship Game in 2025 and nearly making the College Football Playoff.
Now, a lot can happen between now and 2030. But if Elliott continues to grow the program and sticks around at Virginia, they could be in a good spot with Manning thanks to a secret weapon: his mother.
Ashley Manning, Peyton’s wife, is a UVA grad who is an avid supporter of the Cavaliers. She and Peyton married in 2001, and the superstar even spoke at a Virginia commencement ceremony in 2014.
In a recent workout video, Marshall was seen sporting a Virginia football shirt, displaying his own personal affinity for the program.
Peyton will undoubtedly be lobbying for the Vols, whom he still strongly supports. And Marshall will very likely have a number of schools looking to land his services. But it certainly seems as if Marshall has a soft spot for the Cavaliers. Whether or not that’s enough to land his commitment in a few years remains to be seen.