Arch Manning, the Texas quarterback, has signed a colossal deal with Uber, catapulting him to the top of the NIL standings and earning him more than double the average NFL salary. During the 2024 college football season, Longhorns' starter Quinn Ewers grappled with injuries and form issues, paving the way for Manning.

His performances, popularity, and famous surname put Ewers under pressure. Manning's dual-threat capability enhances the Texas offense, but head coach Steve Sarkisian resisted calls to make him a permanent fixture in the lineup. With Ewers set to join the pros in the 2025 NFL Draft, Manning - who completed 61 out of 90 passes for 939 yards and nine touchdowns with two interceptions and four rushing touchdowns in 2024 - is poised to lead Texas into a new era.

Now entering his third season with Texas, Manning has secured another NIL deal, this time with transport company Uber.

According to , this deal gives Manning an NIL value of £5million ($6.5m), putting him ahead of all other college sports stars, including Duke basketball sensation Cooper Flagg. The On3 NIL Valuation is the leading index that calculates the projected annual value (PAV) of college and high school athletes by combining Roster Value and NIL Value.

Using a unique algorithm, the On3 NIL Valification sets a value that enables athletes, schools, and brands to negotiate roster contracts and marketing opportunities more effectively - and Manning is at the forefront.

During the 2024 season, the typical NFL player's wage sat at roughly £2.4m ($3.2m). With teams maintaining a minimum of 53 players on their rosters, vast sums are funnelled into the player wage budget, especially as quarterbacks often command yearly multi-million-dollar contracts spanning multiple years.

In a light-hearted promotional video for Uber alongside his father Cooper and grandfather Archie, the youthful Manning took a ride in Waymo, the innovative driverless ride-hailing service that has been launched in Austin. The 19-year-old Arch faced playful jabs from his relatives in the ad.

"Arch, do you Uber to class? Because I notice you get a lot of parking tickets. You must be driving somewhere," asked Cooper. "Tickets are brutal around campus, so I think Uber is the way to go," Arch added. Archie replied: "I've just been a couple of blocks but it drives a lot better than Arch did last night coming from the airport."

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