The Manning family is no stranger to success. It’s a bloodline featuring Hall of Famers, MVPs and Super Bowl trophies. For third-generation Texas sophomore quarterback Arch Manning, success isn't a goal — it's the expectation.
Nearly halfway through his first season as a starter, Manning has had an up-and-down campaign. Entering 2025 as the Heisman favorite, Manning has completed just over 61% of his passes, throwing nine touchdowns and three interceptions this season.
Now, a new challenge faces the 21-year-old signal caller, one not foreign to those within his family: The Swamp.
Both of Arch’s uncles, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, faced the Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to varying degrees of success.
“They said it’s the real deal,” Arch said. “We’re excited to get down there.”
Before he turned out one of the greatest careers in NFL history, Peyton went 39-6 as a starter over four years at Tennessee. Three of those six losses were to Florida from 1995-97.
It seemed like the Volunteers’ year in 1996. The team was ranked No. 2 in the nation with an 11-game winning streak before No. 4 Florida visited Neyland Stadium. As rain fell on the over 107,000 fans in attendance, Heisman favorite Peyton was intercepted four times in the first half.
Despite a late comeback attempt, the Gators prevailed 35-29, knocking the Volunteers out of title contention and earning a crucial win en route to their first national championship.
“That was, without a doubt, my favorite game that I ever played in,” former Gator linebacker James Bates said about the victory. “It actually gives me chills.”
Bates intercepted Peyton in that game, but their journey didn’t start there. Bates had hosted Peyton when he visited UF years before as a recruit, when the hype around the second-generation prospect was palpable.
Though Peyton joined Tennessee, his encounters with the Bates family continued. In Knoxville, Jeremy Bates, James’ older brother, served as Peyton’s backup quarterback in 1995. Later on, his father, Jim Bates, faced Peyton numerous times at the NFL level, where he served as defensive coordinator for a handful of teams, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers.
As he progressed through the levels of football and faced three different members of the Bates family, Peyton inspired the same reaction from the brothers and their father: All concluded Peyton was built differently.
“You hear about Peyton putting in his understanding of the game and his drive to understand it to its fullest,” James said. “You have to be that much more prepared, because you're going against the true pro.”
While Peyton was unable to vanquish the Gators, his younger brother, Eli, had different results. Also a highly touted recruit, Eli attended Ole Miss, the alma mater of his father and Arch’s namesake, Archie Manning.
Archie, a College Football Hall of Famer, never faced the Gators during his collegiate career. He had a prestigious professional career, making two Pro Bowl appearances over 14 years.
Eli, however, faced the Gators twice, earning a 2-0 record against Florida.
In 2002, Eli outdueled Rex Grossman in a 17-14 home win over then-No. 6 Florida. Then, in 2003, he vanquished the Gators in The Swamp, leading a game-winning drive in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to claim a 20-17 victory.
Just like his older brother, Eli would go on to have a wildly successful career on the NFL level, winning two Super Bowls with the New York Giants.
Next in the line of football royalty, Arch has flashed brilliance, but there have been moments of inconsistency. Criticism for the young quarterback has been aplenty, amplified by his last name.
“For a guy like Arch, it just seems like that pressure would be magnified so many times over because of the success of his family,” James said. “So then you've got all your haters, all the people that hate on Eli and hate on Peyton and hate on Archie. And now, if they’re not Longhorn fans, they put all that hate to him and he’s under the spotlight, but they've always seemed to thrive on that.”
Florida head coach Billy Napier, who comes from the Louisiana pipeline and has plenty of experience with the Manning family, sees a bright future for Texas’ quarterback, who he watched during his pre-collegiate career in Louisiana.
“He's just being himself,” Napier said. “He's authentic. And I think that's important when you're in that type of position, because you’ve got to know who you are. You got to be yourself."
Arch featured briefly in Texas’ 49-17 home win over Florida Nov. 9, 2024, completing three of his six pass attempts for 19 yards.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
Max is the Summer 2025 sports editor. He is a third-year journalism sports & media major and in his fifth semester at The Alligator. He is a big South Florida sports fan and would die for Matthew Tkachuk.
