Arch Manning Goes Against Family's NIL Rules By Signing First Deal Before Being Named Starter, But There's A Catch

Arch Manning is set to begin his second semester at the University of Texas in just a few weeks. The former five-star, No. 1 overall quarterback enrolled early and got some experience under his belt during the spring, but he does not slate to land anywhere near the starting job.

If Manning does not choose to take a redshirt, he will serve as the third-string.

Despite Manning's standing on the depth chart, his last name carries a lot of weight in terms of branding. As the first grandson of football, he is one of the most notable names in the sport.

There is an opportunity for Manning to make a lot of money while in college. However, back in April, head coach Steve Sarkisian said that his star freshman was not accepting any NIL deals right now.

His family agreed that he would not sign any NIL deals until he is named the starter.

That is no longer the case, but there is a catch.

Manning announced on Tuesday that he has signed his first NIL deal with Panini America. The trading card company recently signed Quinn Ewers to a similar deal and has been partnered with the Manning Passing Academy for a little while now.

As part of the deal, Panini released a one-of-one black Prizm autographed card.

Arch Manning's very first trading card(Image courtesy: Panini America)

The card is up for auction on Panini's website and the current bid, as of this writing, is already over $30,000. It will be open for bidding until Saturday at 8:00 p.m. CT.

Here is where the catch comes into the picture. Manning will not get a single dime from the auction.

All of the proceeds will go to St. David's Foundation. It is one of the largest health foundations in the U.S. and supports a five-county area surrounding Austin.

Whomever wins the auction will also get more than just the trading card.

In addition to the 1-of-1 Panini Prizm Throwback Black Autographed card, the winning bidder will also receive a special meet and greet experience with Arch Manning. They can catch passes with Manning and have the opportunity to be a part of the check presentation to the beneficiary of the funds raised through the auction.

Further details of Mannin's NIL deal are undisclosed. However, it is known that the Longhorns' freshman phenom will be featured in marketing activations for Panini.

Manning is not the starting quarterback at Texas. He signed an NIL deal anyway.

Perhaps the partnership with Panini is set to start paying dividends once he is named the starter. Perhaps Manning and his family decided to rid of the NIL rules that Sarkisian announced during spring ball.

Either way, Archibald Manning has entered the Name, Image and Likeness space. The snowball has been pushed off the cliff and it will only continue to roll!