$3,200,000-NIL worth Texas backup QB Arch Manning set to earn 3x more than current NFL MVP favorite Brock Purdy
College athletes like Arch Manning have been benefitting from NIL deals since the ruling was made in 2019.
The Texas freshman quarterback is one of many college athletes who will have the opportunity to leverage their popularity into millions of dollars before making the next step to the big leagues.
A recent report brought to light the fact that Arch Manning, who has only featured in two games for the Longhorns, is set to earn thrice as much as San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy, the favorite to win the NFL MVP.
Arch Manning vs Brock Purdy: Salary comparison
Brock Purdy, the final pick from the 2022 NFL Draft, joined the 49ers as a backup before assuming the starting role following Jimmy Garropolo's injury last season.
The former Iowa State quarterback signed a four-year, $3.73 million contract with the Niners at the start of his tenure and has since earned $1.575 million through two seasons. The MVP favorite made $870,000 for the 2023 season.
Meanwhile, Arch Manning joined Texas as a five-star recruit from the 2022 class after a stellar high school career. Manning, who has not played more than five snaps in college football, ranks second in NIL valuation ($3.2 million) among football players, behind Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders. He's fourth overall among all college athletes, behind Bronny James ($5.9 million), Shedeur Sanders ($4 million) and Olivia Dunne ($3.3 million).
Arch Manning NIL deals breakdown
While Manning is a highly rated prospect, having multiple Hall of Famers in the family has helped the 19-year-old score NIL deals.
Texas HC Steve Sarkisian commented on Manning's NIL plans, saying that the quarterback will not be taking any NIL money before he's a starter, per the Athletic:
“Everybody is under this assumption that this was an NIL deal for him to come to the University of Texas. It was absolutely not,” said Sarkisian, who addressed Manning’s recruiting while speaking at a Houston Touchdown Club luncheon.
Manning announced his first multi-year NIL deal with trading card company Panini, in July this year.
The quarterback teamed up with Panini to create limited edition personally autographed cards, with proceeds going to charity. It will be interesting to see how much more Manning makes as he takes over the starting job from Quinn Ewers.