Many of us formed some of our greatest memories as teenagers. Arch Manning, the 19-year-old quarterback for the University of Texas, is still making them, reaping the benefits of impending football stardom at one of the country’s largest universities. On the field, he’s next in line to be the Longhorns’ QB1 after putting up strong numbers in the two games he started in 2024. Off the field, he’s taking advantage of all the resources that UT has to offer, which means plenty of gourmet eats at the football facility and rarely turning on his stove at home.
The son of Cooper Manning (Eli and Peyton’s brother) and likely to be the fourth member of the family to reach the NFL once his college days are over, Arch is currently catching a little downtime. As he waits for August to roll around and the 2025 season to begin, the youngster is enjoying offseason workouts, life in Austin, and a new deal with Red Bull (“It’s good people over there, and they came to me with an offer I couldn’t deny”).
While it doesn’t sound like he’s going to be whipping up complicated meals anytime soon, Manning is learning to curtail his use of food delivery apps, spending a lot of time in the cold tub, and side-eyeing anyone in his life who overuses a certain condiment.
I’m sure you had some sort of fitness routine when you got to college, but did you have to overhaul it when you got to Texas?
Yeah, I guess in high school I didn’t really follow nutrition that well. My brother and I would go get [Raising] Cane’s before games and I’d get a root beer, or a medium-to-large lemonade. When I got to college, I saw everyone taking it more seriously and I thought, I gotta start doing this. Now, I’m drinking a lot of water—mixing in some Red Bull—staying away from fried food, and eating well.
We have a team nutritionist and, I mean, they overfeed us. We’re getting fed all the time. I feel like I’m the most hydrated I’ve ever been, and a cool thing about the partnership with Red Bull is they allow me to access a nutritionist and get all the information I need to enhance my performance.
What was the Cane’s order?
Box combo, no coleslaw, extra fries. It was big time. I thought it was good protein, tasted good. I wasn’t like, “I need this to help me perform.” It was fine, but my body’s growing and changing, so I don’t think that would last me in college. When I eat Cane’s now, I feel terrible the next day.
And now you’re off fried food completely?
I try to eat no fried food during the week, but it’s just so easy to DoorDash some Chick-fil-A on the weekend when you don’t feel like eating out. But I try to stay away from it during the week … [whispers] even though I had Chick-fil-A this morning.
Do you have a go-to pregame meal now that isn’t Raising Cane’s?
We eat our meals before the games at the hotel. I usually like to eat grilled chicken, pasta, some vegetables, and some fruit. Maybe a smoothie.
How were those first workouts when you got to Texas?
The workouts were no joke. It was hard! On one of my visits, a player told me to make sure I run a lot and lift before I get to town. I took that to heart, so I was pretty prepared, but they are not easy. I think the intensity, and how often [we did them] was the toughest part. In the summer, we’ll get out there at 6:30 at night, and then you’re back the next morning at 6:30 for another workout. There’s not much time for recovery, but you gotta get the most out of it.
Now that you’ve been through it, what sort of advice would you give an incoming freshman when it comes to health, wellness, or nutrition?
I would say it’s important to compete. Try to get a sweat in every day. Maybe not every day, but at least five to six times a week. I just think it’s good for your mental health, and it’s fun! It’s better than staying inside doing nothing all day. I’ve never gamed, but I’m on my phone a lot, so I try to get outside and have fun, laugh, and sweat at least once a day.
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