Texas football star Arch Manning inks NIL deal with Red Bull

Texas Longhorns star quarterback Arch Manning announces a major NIL deal with Red Bull as he assumes the starting role heading into the 2025 season.
Texas football star Arch Manning announces a big NIL deal.
Texas football star Arch Manning announces a big NIL deal. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Arch Manning officially has wings, as the Texas Longhorns star quarterback announced he signed an NIL deal with Red Bull.

“target locked, wiings secured,” Red Bull said in an Instagram post featuring the quarterback.

Archie Manning, the quarterback’s grandfather and NFL Hall of Famer, previously said that Arch would not sign an NIL deal until he became a starter.

Manning was the No. 1 overall football recruit in the class of 2023 and the latest product of college football’s most famous family, and is set to take over the starting position as the Longhorns head into the 2025 season after the departure of Quinn Ewers.

That name and his promise mark Manning as one of college football’s most valuable athletes.

While the exact details of this NIL deal are not known, what is known is that Arch Manning should enter the 2025 football season as the most lucrative athlete in the country.

That’s according to the On3 Sports NIL Valuation chart, which estimates the quarterback is worth about $6.6 million in NIL money, more than $2 million more than the No. 2 ranked player.

That would be Duke freshman basketball star Cooper Flagg, who On3 projects is worth $4.3 million this season.

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Manning got his first extended action this year after Ewers was injured against UTSA on Sept. 14.

He completed 9 of 12 pass attempts for 223 yards with four touchdown passes and ran three times for 53 yards and another touchdown in the eventual 56-7 victory.

And with Ewers out the following week with the ailment, Manning was the starter against UL Monroe, going 15 of 29 (51.7%) passing with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

His rushing output was less successful, as he ran once for minus-4 yards, but Texas still cruised to a 51-3 victory against the Warhawks.

Manning then started for the Longhorns in their SEC debut against Mississippi State, playing to some acclaim in a 35-13 win as the No. 1 team in the country.

The quarterback completed 26 of 31 pass attempts for 325 yards and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions and ran for another score on 6 carries in that game.

In that extended two-plus game action with Ewers sidelined, Manning threw for 806 yards with 8 touchdowns and 2 interceptions while rushing for 2 more touchdowns.

And in total, Manning accounted for 939 passing yards with 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions while adding 108 yards on 25 carries and 4 more touchdowns.

Now, he enters 2025 as QB1 for the Longhorns, and with a big NIL endorsement to boot.

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James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He previously covered football for 247Sports and CBS Interactive. College Football HQ joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022.