For the first time in nearly three decades, Neyland Stadium is about to see a Manning wearing No. 16 again. This time, though, the orange on the jersey belongs to Texas, not Tennessee.
Arch Manning arrives in Knoxville for Saturday’s No. 1 Texas vs.
No. 14 Tennessee matchup carrying one of the most recognizable names in college football, and that name is tied tightly to the Vols.
His uncle, Peyton Manning, is one of eight players in Tennessee history to have his number retired, and it’s the same No. 16 Arch wears now.
That connection has made the week bigger than just a top-15 SEC showdown. Peyton’s summer comments about setting aside Tennessee loyalty for his nephew stirred plenty of reaction, and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was asked about the Manning storyline at his Monday press conference. But around Rocky Top, the real question is simpler: how will Tennessee fans greet Arch Manning when he walks into the stadium where Peyton became a legend?
Two Vols fans who will be in the building Saturday, Jim Zasowski and Shelton Sanders, both said the family angle makes sense. Zasowski, a Tennessee graduate from the class of 1982, said Peyton’s stance didn’t surprise him at all.
"Did it surprise me to hear that?" Zasowksi said.
"Absolutely not. ... I think the family does things right."
Sanders, who graduated in 2015, felt the same way.
"We all know Peyton's stance and take on Tennessee," Sanders said. "He loves the university.
He loves the state. … But family comes first, and that's where you put your support.
And so I don't blame one bit."
Peyton made his position clear in June at the Manning Passing Academy when asked about Texas visiting Tennessee. He said family outweighs everything else.
"Nothing is more important than your family," he said. "My dad dealt with it when I was in college, and Tennessee played Ole Miss.
I love my university and my alma mater and pull for them unconditionally, but nothing is more important to me than my family. When you have a nephew playing, I pull very hard for him every single Saturday.
"That's pretty much a no-brainer that you're pulling for your nephew to play well. Like I said, everyone knows pretty strongly where my loyalties lie on all other Saturdays."
That answer set off plenty of conversation online, but the fans who spoke for this story didn’t see it as a betrayal. Zasowski said only a small slice of the fan base was truly upset.
Count Zasowski, the early-80s Vols grad, among those in the former camp. He estimates a vocal "10 percent" of fans were actually upset about Manning's comments and said he fully expected the Tennessee legend to support his nephew.
Peyton’s bond with Tennessee, they said, has already been established over years of public support and goodwill. So for them, a Saturday spent backing Arch doesn’t erase anything.
As for Arch, Sarkisian suggested the quarterback isn’t likely to be caught up in the outside noise. On Monday, he said the focus for Manning is where it should be: on the game itself.
"Honestly, I don't think he's gonna care too much about that," Sarkisian said. "Don't take anything away from Peyton.
I don't think he's thought much about how he's playing at Tennessee. I'm sure it'll be a cool moment for the family.
I don't think Arch cares that much. I think he cares about playing really good for his teammates and being connected with his team."
For Tennessee fans, the storyline is interesting, but the setting matters more. Zasowski called it "kind of a cool thing" and said the Manning name still carries real weight in Knoxville.
"I think it's kind of a cool thing," he said said. "First of all, the name carries a ton of weight in Knoxville, obviously. And I think it's just great for college football, to be honest with you."
Sanders said the connection still resonates even for younger fans who never saw Peyton play in person.
"I think it does," Sanders said when asked whether a Manning playing in Neyland resonates with fans his age. "I mean, just because of how much Peyton meant to Tennessee and how much he still does mean to Tennessee. I'm not old enough to remember him playing but have obviously watched multiple highlight reels with John Ward in the background."
Still, when the ball is kicked off, sentiment is going to take a back seat to the noise. Tennessee is facing the top-ranked team in the country, and Neyland will be roaring either way. Zasowski said Arch will get plenty of boos, but not because this is personal.
"I think it's booing Texas," Zasowski said. "Anybody coming in ranked No. 1 into Neyland is going to hear it from the crowd.
I don't think it'll be necessarily directly against him. I think it'll just be fans fired up to beat Texas.
That, to me, is the number one thing. That's where my excitement is.
You got a No. 1 team coming in. You got a high-profile quarterback."
That’s the heart of it. The name on the back of the jersey adds a layer, but the crowd’s reaction will mostly come from the opponent, the ranking and the stakes. Tennessee is trying to beat the No. 1 team in the country for the first time since 1985 and just the third time in program history.
So yes, Arch Manning will get attention in Neyland. But on Saturday, the noise figures to be aimed at Texas first and everything else second.
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