Arch Manning Doesn't Care If You Call Him A Nepo Baby

Arch Manning is all smiles as he emerges from the tunnel of Kelly Reeves Athletic Complex and walks to meet us at the fifty yard line, where we’ve set up our interview. It’s a gorgeous, sunny, 60 degree January afternoon in Texas–certainly nicer than New York, where I’ve just flown in from–but Arch rubs his hands and dons an extra layer. I kid that his Louisiana blood has made him a bit soft, but by the end of our chat, my nose is starting to run. Joke’s on me, I suppose.

We’re chatting because today, Arch officially gets his wings. He’s signed a NIL deal with Red Bull, which he says is “a match made in heaven” as he sips from a can of OG Red Bull.

For the unannointed, Arch is football royalty. He’s the grandson of NFL star Archie and nephew of beloved quarterbacks and 2x Super Bowl winners, respectively, Peyton and Eli. The Mannings have long been considered football’s first family, and for most 19-year-olds, that’d probably mean an inflated ego and an attitude problem.

Arch, however, is exactly the opposite. He’s easy-going and quick to laugh. When we ask him to react to a tweet (or whatever we’re calling X posts now) calling him a nepo baby, he stuns me when he says he’s never heard the term before. When it’s defined to him, Arch shrugs and says, “I mean, that’s fair.”

If I didn’t know better, I could easily assume he was a (taller, politer, more swole) friend of one of my college-aged cousins. But he’s not. He’s one of the most talked-about young quarterbacks in the country and the heir to a legendary football lineage. Yet, as we settle in on the fifty-yard line, it’s clear that Arch Manning is just as interested in enjoying the ride as he is in playing the game.

Our conversation, lightly edited and condensed for clarity, is below.

I want to start with Red Bull. You officially have your wings. What does that mean to you?

It's great. I'm so excited about the partnership. Red Bull is a great brand and when they reached out it was just like, a match made in heaven, and I'm glad to be a part of it.

The only other college football player signed to Red Bull is Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. Have you guys gotten a chance to chop it up?

Yeah, I talked to him actually after our game last week, he seems like a really good guy and a great player. I'm excited for him and all the success he's had, and he seems like another great partner.

When I think of Red Bull, my mind instantly goes to wild adventure sports that the brand's affiliated with. If you were to pursue one of those, not football, which do you think that would be?

I kind of want to do surfing. Yeah, I think I'm going to take a surf lesson this summer, see what it's all about. So maybe surfing.

Have you ever surfed before?

I've never surfed before. It seems fun, I like being in the ocean.

Do you have a lot of balance? Have you skateboarded or snowboarded?

I've never skateboarded, but I skied when I was younger a little bit and I feel like I have a pretty good balance.

All right, so we'll see you in a surf competition.

Maybe if they let me, I don't know if Sar will let me, but maybe.

There are a ton of eyes on you simply because of who your family is. How do you deal with the public scrutiny?

I mean, I don't really look at what other people think online. I just kind of keep on living my life. That's what I've been taught, and that's what I'm going to try and continue to do.

What would you say to people who call you a nepo baby and say you're here because you're a Manning?

I mean, they have the right to say that. When people say stuff, like they have freedom of speech, I've probably said bad things about other people. It's kind of the business I'm in. Obviously I do think that I worked hard for the position I'm in, but people are allowed to say what they want.

And the stats, I think, speak for themselves.

There's a lot of fascination online around your body transformation. In 2023, you put on 15 pounds of muscle. What does taking care of your body look like in the weight room and in recovery?

Yeah, I think that's a lot to credit to our strength coach, Coach Becton, and his staff, and Coach Castro. Our weight program's really good and just being in there lifting every day, not eating Chick-fil-A and Canes every day like I did in high school, is a little bit better for me, and taking my recovery a little bit more serious than high school. So I think that's been a huge part of it.

Does that look like stretching? Pilates? What are we doing now?

I did Pilates once in New Orleans. It was so hard. I was sore for three days after.

Were you on the reformer?

Yeah, it was hot in there too. It was tough.

So… you will not be going back to Pilates?

I mean, maybe. I know Deandre Moore and some other guys do pilates here. I might have to check it out.

Are you in the sauna? Are we doing yoga? How are we taking care of the body?

We just got a sauna in the facility, so I was in there last night. I love going to that thing and then jumping into the cold tub after. I think the contrast between the cold and hot has been really good for me.

And how do you take care of your mental health?

I think just hanging out with friends and going to dinner and laughing–kind of taking a break from football for a little bit, just to kind of balance out my life. That's been really good for me.

Your friend and your teammate, Quinn Ewers, is entering the draft this spring. What's it been like to work alongside him these last few years and have you talked about the draft at all?

It's been great, Quinn's one of my homies. We were with each other every day for the past two years, so we're boys and he's been great to me. He handles everything so well. He's a true pro and I'm excited to see what he does next year. I think he's going to be a great add to any team.

And on your end, there's already talk about you being a top candidate for next year’s Heisman and an early first-round pick in the 2026 draft, if you choose to enter it. What do you think about those predictions?

I don't really worry about it; I'm taking it day by day. Quinn even told me after the game, just take it day by day. Don't worry about anything. Just enjoy the ride. That's what I'm going to try and do. I'm worried about what I'm going to have for lunch today rather than next year.

How do you deal with all the pressure?

Thinking about all that is just going to stress me out. There's no point in even worrying about it. I'm just here to play football, be the best version of me, not compare myself to others, and just play ball. That's what I'm here to do. It's just a game at the end of the day.

I talked to your uncle, Eli, a few weeks ago and I asked him, who gives you the best advice between your dad, your uncles, your grandpa? I'm curious what your answer is.

Well, I ask them all for advice and I think you get different types of advice. My grandfather is always saying to be a good guy and be a good teammate, put your head down and work hard. Peyton I’ll ask for advice, and it's a lot of football related X’s and O’s. And then Eli's more to the point, and my dad’s just kind of like “enjoy your college experience, have fun.”

So it's cool getting advice from all of 'em. I think it all kind of leads back to my grandfather; he gives us all advice.

Your uncle Eli said that your grandpa probably gives you the most advice... And that most of it is probably not relevant *laughs*

Yeah, that's probably true.

I’ve read that you don’t do much gaming off-the-field, and historically haven’t super into TV or movies. Is that accurate? How do you spend your free time?

I like to scroll. I’ve got to get better at that. I'm trying to be off my phone more. I like to play golf, hang out with friends, play pickleball and spike ball, just kind of mess around.

You have to put screen time limits!

Yeah, I do screen time sometimes… I just ignore 'em, though. But I'm trying to get better at that. Last night I left my phone at home when I went to dinner. So, baby steps,

That's a big step, that's not a baby step.

Yeah, it's a big step.

If you weren't a QB, what do you think you'd be pursuing right now?

I like to think I'd play center field in baseball.

Why?

Because I played it when I was younger and I really liked it, but I stopped playing, but I really enjoyed it. I don't think I was good enough at basketball, even though I played in high school, but baseball maybe.

It's Complex, so I have to ask, what music are you listening to these days?

It's funny because my dad always tells me don't wear headphones and kind of just enjoy the walk to the stadium and the music inside the stadium. Enjoy the sights and sounds. So that's kind of what I do.

That's just pre-game. Do you listen to anything generally?

Oh yeah, I like country music. I like Eric Church and Luke Combs.

I like that. Looking at the NFL, thinking about the Super Bowl, do you think the Chiefs are going to get a three-peat?

I wouldn't count out the Chiefs for sure. Patrick Mahomes is a winner.

If you had a vote for the NFL in-season MVP, who would you give it to?

I think I'm kind of pulling for Josh Allen this year, I'm a big fan of him. Hopefully he can pull it out. Lamar's a stud though, so I have no idea.

Okay, a couple of rapid-fire question for you. Favorite pair of cleats?

I wear Nike's right now, so I’ll go Nike right now.

Favorite food?

Steak.

How do you take your steak cooked?

Medium, right down the middle.

New Orleans or Austin?

I love New Orleans, but I like living in Austin right now.

Do you have a favorite barbecue spot in Austin?

Ooh, Terry Blacks for sure.

Biggest pet peeve?

When someone's on aux and leaves the room and it buffers. That's pretty annoying.

Best sports movie of all time?

Miracle on Ice. Fire.

Top five QBs of all time?

We're going to go Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Eli Manning. They're all dogs. Got completions, were winners, and just pros all around.

If you had to emulate a quarterback, who would it be?

I like the way Josh Allen plays. He's a dog. He's a winner. He's just an all-around football player. I think it'd be him.