As Texas quarterback Arch Manning prepares for the 2025 season, his name commands national attention — and a staggering $6.6 million NIL valuation. Despite the financial hype, Cooper Manning says his son is grounded. Arch’s recruitment, unlike many today, driven by NIL money, was centered on personal connections and program fit. Although not chasing profits in Austin, he remains a top draw in college football.
Cooper Manning Reveals Why Arch Manning Isn’t Letting $6.6M NIL Hype Distract Him
Like many top athletes, Arch carefully navigates NIL opportunities—accepting only those that feel right to him, such as his partnership with Red Bull. According to his father, Cooper Manning, trusting his gut has become vital to Arch’s approach to these deals.
“We never talked money, ever, before he figured out where he wanted to go to college,” Cooper said during an appearance on the Under the Numbers podcast. “We never discussed it with the coaches or anybody that [NIL] was a factor.”
“Make a decision on where you want to go to school [based on] where you’re going to be happy. Where do you think you fit in, can make friends, will like the coaches, and are going to be happy? If the whole football thing doesn’t work out, where would you want to go to school? And so he made those decisions on his own.”
Cooper also reflected on the wisdom Arch has gained about NIL, highlighting the importance of intuition.
“I was glad I made a decision on the merits of, where can I go, be happy, get a good education, and give it a run,” Cooper said.
He shared Arch’s philosophy:
“I think I’ve figured out this NIL stuff out, if it doesn’t feel right my gut, don’t do it. And I said, buddy, that’s the way it works for 99% of the world.”
He added,
“If you’re dating a gal and you’re not like, this is working, you know, not working. Or, you know, just get a bad feeling about something, the gut is hard to fight. And I think if you got at least pretty good, kind of grew up around some.”
Cooper emphasized how Arch’s ability to say no to deals that don’t align with his values shows maturity.
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“He’s had ample opportunities to do some things that just didn’t quite make sense for what he’s all about. And he just passed. I think he’s really concentrating on the task at hand.”
This simple but crucial lesson isn’t always learned early, yet Arch’s parents, Cooper and Ellen, allowed him the freedom to discover it himself while providing steady support.
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