Arch Manning’s name still carries weight, but the number next to it has taken a sharp hit.
When the 2025 season began, Manning sat atop college sports with a $6.8 million On3 NIL valuation. Ten months later, that figure has dropped to $2.5 million, a $4.3 million slide that sends him all the way down to No. 52 in the NIL100.
The decline comes even though Manning never lost the starting job. Texas finished 10-3, missed the College Football Playoff and saw its most recognizable player’s market value reset one uneven week at a time.
On3 updated Manning’s profile this past weekend and replaced the projected numbers that once had him at the top of the sport. He had been No. 1 as recently as June, when the outlet valued him at $5.4 million.
On3’s system weighs performance, influence and exposure, then breaks the result into roster value and brand value. It projects annual earning power, while confirmed deal data offers a firmer figure than the modeled estimates.
Manning’s valuation started sliding early. After last year’s season-opening loss at Ohio State, he dropped $485,000. By mid-September, he was at $5.5 million, and after a 29-21 loss at Florida, he dipped near $5 million.
The production on the field still added up to a strong statistical season. The New Orleans native finished 2025 with 3,163 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while also running for 10 scores.
He capped it by winning Citrus Bowl MVP against Michigan. Even so, the valuation kept moving in the wrong direction.
Off the field, Manning continued to add to his endorsement portfolio. In March, he signed with Google Gemini and joined the AI company’s growing college lineup. He also recently expanded his long-running deal with Panini America.
Those agreements sit alongside a list that includes Uber, Raising Cane’s, Red Bull, Vuori, Warby Parker and EA Sports. Manning, by his own description, tends to handle most of that business before the season starts.
"I'm trying to get all that stuff out of the way before the season," Manning said at the Manning Passing Academy. "Obviously, you want to take advantage of what you can and make the right decisions on partnering with companies, but I'm focused on ball."
The financial picture around Manning has varied depending on the source. The Athletic estimated he made $6.8 million in 2025, a total that topped the salaries of more than 35 college head coaches. Opendorse contract data, meanwhile, suggested the top SEC quarterback was closer to $3.5 million.
Inside Texas reported that Manning will accept a reduced revenue-sharing cut in 2026 to help Texas fill roster holes.
For all the attention that comes with his surname, the latest On3 ranking places him behind more than 50 athletes on paper. And while that says plenty about the volatility of NIL valuations, it also shows how much of Manning’s original number was tied to the Manning brand itself.
Manning and Texas open the 2026 season against Texas State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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