WATCH: Eli Manning discusses nephew Arch’s football achievements, college choice on CBS Sports HQ

Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is cheering on his nephew Arch Manning as he pursues a football career and breaks records set by he and brother Peyton Manning at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans. In an interview with CBS Sports HQ, the two-time Super Bow champion said he is looking forward to seeing Arch set the bar even higher.
Arch, the No. 1 overall quarterback in the Class of 2023, broke his high school’s passing record on Sept. 30. The 18-year-old’s next goal is the Louisiana state championship, which is something his famous uncles didn’t do.
“He’s already broken all of our records at Newman, so he might as well go on and try to be the first one to win a state championship as well,” said Manning. “That’s been his goal and I’m proud of him for how he’s handled this whole situation.”
The five-star recruit committed to Texas in June after a visit in which the Longhorns spent spending nearly $280,000 in three days to impress him and other recruits. The high price tag was worth it because, according to CBS college football writer Barrett Sallee, he has been the most sought-after recruiting prospect since Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields.
Manning said Arch didn’t want to prolong his decision because he wanted to focus on playing well for his current team.
“He loves his teammates, he loves playing high school football. He wanted to make a decision early on where to go to school so he could just concentrate on playing football and winning games for Newman and trying to get to the state championship,” Manning told CBS Sports HQ.
He also discussed the trash talking between his family members when it comes to college football. He went to Ole Miss while his older brother Peyton went to Tennessee.
“We honestly all root for each others’ colleges a little bit… It’s all support until they have to play each other,” Manning said, while adding that he will still cheer for Arch as a Longhorn. Games against Ole Miss and Tennessee are set to be in the cards for Texas, with the school joining the Rebels and Volunteers in the SEC in 2025.
In the same interview, Manning also touched on the Giants’ 4-1 start this season. He said they are playing “smart football” and gave credit to quarterback Daniel Jones for making good decisions during critical moments.
Manning was later asked about his recent playful banter with Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson. He said it was all in good fun and that he has a lot of respect for Wilson.
“I think he is one of the top players in the NFL,” Manning said. “I’ve known him for a long time, since he was in college. I root for him all the time, I’m pulling for him. I know he is playing injured, he is playing tough. They’ll get things going because he is too good of a player.”