Arch Manning Draws Negative Attention on Himself

Arch Manning has declined being a part of the upcoming EA Sports College Football 25 video game that is expected to be released this coming June.

On the surface, this may not seem like a big deal, but with so much hype both surrounding the game and Manning himself, for him to opt not be on the game will inevitably draw negative attention as he is such a high profile name.

Manning is the son of former Ole Miss Rebels baseball player, Cooper manning and the nephew and grandfather of former Rebels quarterbacks Eli Manning and Archie Manning. Arch is also the nephew of former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Peyton Manning.

With this level of recognition along with the fact that he is at a big time university in that of the Texas Longhorns, Manning probably did himself more harm than good by neglecting to be in the game.

With over 10,000 players already opting into the game, Manning will be in the minority that are not in it, bringing a level of spotlight to him and the Longhorns that could arguably be unwarranted, but nonetheless existent being that the Longhorns are a national brand with both fans and critics throughout the country.

According to an article written by ESPN Senior Writer, Mark Schlabach, “A company (EA Sports) spokesperson told ESPN that more than 100 of college football’s most recognizable players have opted in during the past week, including Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel.”

This combined with the fact that the EA Sports college football video game series has been on the shelf as far as production for over a decade and this being the first year it is returning heightens this announcement even more-so.

Details are explained on the benefits for players that opt into the game in my article here, but the main highlights are that each player receives $600 and a free copy of the game.

While many fans will not be happy, ultimately Manning’s decision is his own and should be respected as such. Unfortunately for Manning, this will inevitably carry some negative attention with it that hopefully will subside by the time the season begins in the fall, but could be an unwelcomed distraction for the Longhorns.