How can Arch Manning possibly live up to the hype?

Texas quarterback Arch Manning's famous family has done all it can to temper the expectations linked to his lineage. And yet, he's still one of the most hyped prospects of all time.

That leads to an interesting question: Can Arch live up to the hype that his relatives tried so hard to limit?

Manning, 21, is the nephew of Peyton and Eli and grandson to Archie, making him the closest thing the NFL has to royalty. But unlike other famous offspring who end up in outsized roles too soon because of their family trees (Bronny James comes to mind), Arch has been slowly and carefully ushered through his development.

After breaking his uncles' high school passing records in Louisiana, the Mannings kept Arch away from media interviews during college recruiting season and only announced he'd chosen the Longhorns after the process was complete. Texas agreed not to rush him into a starting role, and he spent two full years as a backup even though he was considered the leading candidate to be the top NFL draft pick in 2026.

That pro potential isn't just because of the name, either. Draft analysts and talent evaluators gush over his skills, which shouldn't be all that surprising - he probably started learning proper footwork and throwing mechanics around the time he could toss a rattle out of a baby stroller.

He's flashed some of his talent in his limited game time with the Longhorns, piling up gaudy passing stats in a pair of blowout wins early last season while filing in for the injured Quinn Ewers.

The combination of his potential and a talented Texas roster made the Longhorns the preseason No. 1 in the Associated Press poll, and Arch was at the top of every draft board for next April.

Then the Manning family stuck another pin in the hype balloon. Grandfather Archie said last week that Arch would also remain at Texas for the 2026 season, a decision that seems like an attempt to dim the spotlight on him as he takes over the full-time starting job in Austin. Arch and his family still have plenty of time to change their minds before April, but by saying he intends to play two more years at Texas, they've made this year about the Longhorns, not his draft prospects. In other words, this season, no one will be asking Manning if he's willing to play for the Cleveland Browns. (Given that Eli forced his way out of San Diego when he was drafted first overall, it would have been a reasonable question.)

But even if Arch's NFL future has been pushed another year into the distance, the interest in him, especially heading into a season opener against fellow powerhouse Ohio State, will be off the charts.

It's not just that his uncles were NFL stars with four Super Bowl victories between them. Peyton and Eli remain in the public eye long after their playing careers, with booming media (and commercial) profiles that have kept the Manning name in the NFL vernacular. Not long after Arch's season begins at Texas, his uncles will once again be doing their Manningcast version of Monday Night Football - where the subject of their nephew is bound to come up, especially if he plays well.

While someone like Shedeur Sanders, to use another example of a famous second-generation athlete, has a different athletic profile than his father, Deion, Arch is more like a souped-up version of his uncles: He's got Manning-level passing ability, but he's a more gifted athlete and runner. This is how you end up at the top of draft boards before you've even been a regular college starter.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian seems aware of the perils of sky-high expectations for Arch. "Unfortunately, we live in a world of 'he's the greatest ever' or is going to be a bust," he told reporters this week - recognizing that a shaky start to the season would attract a flood of unwanted attention to the quarterback. But Sarkisian also said he doesn't think that bothers Arch; he's just focused on trying to improve.

Everything the Mannings have done in getting Arch to this point has been about the long term, operating under the assumption that he has a lengthy career ahead of him. He could have been a starter somewhere at 19, and possibly a Heisman candidate, if they had prioritized short-term success. They did not, and here we are.

That patience is well-suited to the new college football world, where early-season losses are no longer season-wreckers. An OSU win over Texas at the end of August would barely dent the Longhorns' chances of making the 12-team playoff.

But if Manning plays poorly, there will still be plenty of noise. Despite his family's best efforts, that can no longer be avoided.

Scott Stinson is a contributing writer for theScore.