"I’ve watched a lot of his films": Texas QB Arch Manning names $3,800,000 NIL-worth SEC rival as player he looks up to 

Arch Manning is gearing up for his first year as the starting quarterback of the Texas Longhorns. He spent the last two years as a backup on the quarterback depth chart, seeing limited time on the field behind QB1 Quinn Ewers. Manning gave a glimpse of his dual-threat talent last season when he started two games during Ewers' injury.

Arch Manning looks up to LSU Tigers star Garrett Nussmeier. He has known Nussmeier since 2023, when he was a counselor at the Manning Passing Academy. Garrett's dad, Doug, shared the field with Arch's uncle, Peyton Manning, at the Colts.

Both quarterbacks were shooting content together for an NIL deal with Raising Cane's on Thursday. The Texas quarterback spoke about Nussmeier and his role in his life. According to On3's Pete Nakos, Arch Manning praised Nussmeier. He believes that his collegiate story is similar to the $3.8 million NIL-valued (as per On3) quarterback.

"It's cool having a guy like Nuss to look up to," Manning said as per Pete Nakos. "He's kind of had the same situation as me, just sitting for a few years, then going to play, and he played well. I've watched a lot of his films. He's a good player, so it's fun to look up to him."

Garrett Nussmeier joined the LSU Tigers in 2021. He served as a backup for the first three years. After Jayden Daniels' departure in last year's draft, Nussmeier was named the team's starting quarterback.

In his first season as QB1, Nussmeier helped the Tigers to a 9-4 record and a Texas Bowl victory over the Baylor Bears. He recorded 4,052 yards and 29 TDs passing while rushing for three touchdowns.

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Steve Sarkisian expresses confidence in Arch Manning's abilities as the Longhorns aim for a natty in 2025

Steve Sarkisian and his team joined the SEC conference last season and made their mark in the conference. They competed for the SEC title against the Bulldogs and qualified for the 12-team playoffs, where they lost to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl semifinal.

As the Longhorns prepare for Year 2 in the SEC, Sarkisian believes in Arch Manning's talent to lead the offense.

"I give him a lot of credit because all he did was come to work and be a great teammate," Sarkisian said. "If you didn't know the name on the back of the jersey, you'd say what a great teammate this guy is for Quinn, for the other guys on the team... He's ready to play now at the high level... I think he's earned the respect of his teammates."

It will be interesting to see if Arch Manning manages to help Steve Sarkisian to his first national championship with the Longhorns this upcoming season.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash