I’d like to preface this by saying that I am not a teenage boy with a “golden arm,”, a family NFL legacy or the entire world looking at me through binoculars. I can’t speak for Arch Manning, the grandson of Archie Manning and nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, as to how it feels to have an almost celebrity status for being ranked as the No. 1 quarterback in his class as a sophomore in high school. However, I can say this: it must be really weird to have news outlets writing about your future potential, have your own Wikipedia page and have a televised game of yours called a “National TV Debut.” It sounds like a waking nightmare to have that much pressure on you just because of your name, but I digress.
On Oct. 15, ESPN2 televised a high school football game where Arch Manning, quarterback for Isidore Newman, a private school in New Orleans, played KIPP Booker T. Washington High School. Manning’s team defeated Washington 55-22. This game, as well as his freshman year record, garnered a lot of attention from football fans, college recruiters and sports commentators.
To Manning’s credit, he does deserve it. He is a great player, and according to those close to him, he is humble on and off the field. It’s also rumored that he already has nine unofficial college offers.
I commend his family for keeping him out of the limelight as much as they can — it may be one of the reasons that he is so humble. With the right guidance from his coaches and his family, he has a bright future ahead. However, we are forgetting that he is still so young, and talking about his potential for the pros is a bit premature. Is it possible? Sure, but that’s eight years away. A lot can happen between now and then and putting that added pressure on him won’t help.
I can understand that there is some anticipation, especially among college scouts, to find the next “big one” for their programs. They need someone with talent and charisma to lead a college football team, especially programs with a reputation like the University of Texas, Boston College or Ole Miss. However, I think the sports world is acting too soon with this Manning “legacy.” He is 15 years old. He already has a lot of pressure on the field as the quarterback and having his last name on his jersey. I don’t think he needs the added pressure of colleges and sportscasters breathing down his neck on top of his responsibilities of being in high school— at least just not right now.
College scouts are looking earlier and earlier for potential players and that’s fine, but for right now, that’s all he is: a potential player for a standout college program. All we are hearing about Arch Manning is his potential and that’s just it. He is not there yet. He still has a lot of room to learn, grow — well not physically, as he is already 6’3 — and to be ready for the world’s level of attention he’s been given so far. I get that the pandemic has really made people hopeful for the future, especially the future of college football and the NFL, but even Peyton and Eli weren’t getting offers this early. How about we give the kid a little bit of breathing room as he figures out his path in life?
