‘It’s Bigger Than Your College’ — Eli Manning Pledges His Allegiance to Arch Manning’s Texas for Week 8 Matchup With Ole Miss

After being one of the preseason favorites for the Heisman Trophy, Texas quarterback Arch Manning has had a mixed start to the season under center for the No. 1 Longhorns. Since he committed to the Longhorns as the No. 1-ranked prospect in the class of 2023, Manning has been under the spotlight because of his ties to NFL legends Eli and Peyton Manning, his uncles, and Archie Manning, his grandfather.

The Texas quarterback’s famous uncle, Eli Manning, recently weighed in on which entity he would support if his nephew played against his alma mater, the Ole Miss Rebels.

Eli Manning Sides With Arch Manning Over Ole Miss Affiliation

During Wednesday’s segment of the “Pardon My Take” podcast, the two-time Super Bowl MVP detailed why he would support his nephew over his alma mater, where he is considered a legend.

“This is the way that I look at it. Ole Miss is gonna play Texas in a few weeks in the regular season,” Eli Manning said. “You root for your family. I have basically, maybe two years to root for my nephew in college. And so, in those two years, or maybe it’s the last year, whatever happens, I’m gonna root for my nephew to win every single game that he plays in and that’s just the way it is. After that, Texas, I won’t care about it that much.

“Ole Miss will be 100%. I’ll root for Ole Miss to win every other game, probably besides that one. This is a kid I’ve known since he was born. I’ve played football with him, done drills with him, taught him the game of football. He’s my brother’s son and he’s family. So, you root for family in these scenarios. It’s bigger than college, bigger than where you went. It’s your blood and I’m gonna support him 100% on his football journey for the rest of his life.”

Eli Manning will root for Arch even if they’re playing Ole Miss pic.twitter.com/RJsrkWd4sG

— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake)

Eli Manning set or tied 47 single-game, season and career records at Ole Miss. He won the prestigious SEC Offensive Player of the Year, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm and Maxwell Awards during his stint in Oxford, alongside finishing No. 3 in the 2003 Heisman Trophy voting.

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His No. 10 jersey was retired by Ole Miss alongside his father Archie Manning’s and he was also inducted into the SEC Football Legends Class in 2022.

The spotlight is on his nephew, Arch, who is expected to lead the Longhorns into the College Football Playoff and has a chance to win an SEC title and a national championship, which his uncle was unable to achieve in his illustrious college football career.

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Manning has amassed 862 passing yards on 63.5% completion, 7 touchdowns and 3 interceptions for the Longhorns this season, earning a PFN College QB Impact score of 79.1 (No. 55 nationally).

The Longhorns star has also been tabbed as a potential No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, following a tradition set by his legendary uncles, both of whom were picked No. 1 overall in their respective draft classes.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.