The first official varsity pass from Marshall Manning was never going to be the headline of the night, even if the name attached to it made everyone look up.
On Thursday at Baylor School, the freshman son of Peyton Manning took his first high school snaps in a nationally televised matchup against Brentwood Academy, and his debut came two weeks after he got a first taste of the level in a preseason scrimmage against Buford. He entered midway through the second quarter and moved to his right before completing a short throw of about six yards.
That was enough to mark a new step for a quarterback family that already has plenty of them. Marshall wears No. 16, the same number Peyton wore at Tennessee, and he’s the latest in a line that includes Archie Manning, Eli Manning and Arch Manning. The family tree keeps growing, and now Marshall has his first varsity completion on it.
Still, the night belonged to David Gabriel Georges.
The five-star Tennessee commit piled up 250 yards from scrimmage and powered Baylor past Brentwood Academy, 38-20. Georges finished with 172 rushing yards, 78 receiving yards and three touchdowns, with all three scores coming in the fourth quarter as Baylor turned a close game into a comfortable season-opening win.
The performance fit the billing for the No. 2 running back in the Class of 2027, according to 247Sports. Georges rushed for 1,756 yards and 27 touchdowns last season and helped Baylor finish 12-0 and win a state championship.
Baylor came into this season with expectations that stretched beyond Thursday’s opener, and Georges did plenty to back that up. With Keegan Croucher, a four-star Ole Miss commit, running the offense and Georges capable of hurting defenses as both a runner and a receiver, Baylor already has two proven weapons in place ahead of Manning. That gives the freshman room to grow without being forced to do too much too soon.
The rematch of last year’s championship game didn’t quite reach the finish line. With a little more than a minute left, officials stopped the game because of lightning in the Chattanooga area. By then, Baylor had already taken control.
And for everyone waiting to see the next Manning take a varsity snap, that was enough.
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