Peyton Manning’s son is already drawing college attention before he’s even climbed out of a backup role at Baylor School in Chattanooga.
Marshall Manning, who is 15, has picked up offers from four schools, including two that sit inside the top five: No. 4 Miami and No.
5 Ohio State. Purdue and Missouri State are in the mix too, even though he’s still early in his high school run and hasn’t announced a commitment.
No visit schedule has been made public.
The freshman transferred from Denver before eighth grade and has spent this fall backing up four-star senior Keegan Croucher, an Ole Miss commit. That has kept Marshall’s reps limited, but the first one that mattered came in August against Brentwood Academy. On his first varsity snap, he completed an eight-yard pass to junior receiver Antwaun Adams for a first down.
That play has become the clip recruiters keep circling back to. Marshall also got attention when he made his high school debut in an August scrimmage, a night that already had people comparing his release to Peyton’s. He has kept a low-profile path since then, with the Baylor staff not moving him ahead of Croucher.
The family connections are impossible to ignore. Marshall has worn No. 16, the same number Peyton wore at Tennessee, and Tennessee, Ole Miss and Texas are still the names people bring up first, even though none of them is on his current offer list.
Arch Manning was asked about the attention his cousin is getting this week, and he kept it light. “Marshall’s got a lot of advice,” Arch told People.
“I just wanna be the fun cousin and, you know, talk about anything else. And if he wants advice, I’ll give it to him, but I just wanna be a cousin and friends, and have fun.”
Peyton and Eli are there too if Marshall ever wants a more formal sounding board. For now, though, the next step is simple: more snaps, not a signing day.
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The staff predictions reflect that unease, with the game projected as one that could go either way rather than a comfortable Purdue answer. Several picks lean toward a narrow Boilermaker win, but at least one forecast lands with Minnesota, underscoring how little separation there appears to be entering the weekend. One of the more intriguing angles also involves Fame Ijeboi facing his former team, a wrinkle that adds a little extra texture to a game Purdue would still like to treat as just another step forward. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Must Fix Two Costly Problems To Build On Illinois Win
Purdue heads into its upcoming Big Ten matchup with Minnesota looking to carry over the momentum from its win over Illinois, but the next test comes with a very different feel. The Boilermakers are trying to clean up a defense that has had trouble getting off the field on third down, and that is a dangerous issue to carry into a game against a Minnesota team built to shorten possessions and keep control of the tempo.
On the other side of the ball, Purdue will have to be sharper with its protection and far more efficient once it gets inside scoring range. Minnesotas front has already been disruptive this season, and Purdue cannot afford to let pressure derail drives or force the offense into settling when touchdowns are there to be had. The Boilermakers have moved the ball well enough to create chances, now they need to turn those trips into the kind of finishes that can actually change a conference game. [Read more 🡒]
