Arch Manning's commitment to Texas Longhorns sparks new conversation

Arch Manning, rated as the best player in the class of 2023 by various websites, committed to Texas on June 23. He was the nephew of Eli and Payton Manning and was considered to be the best player in the class of 2023. The Isidore Newman star chose Longhorns over other schools such as Alabama and Georgia.

Recruiting high-profile athletes has always been linked with the value of their name, image, and likeness. However, now, it's also talked about at the high school to college level.

In April, the Louisiana high school Athletic Association announced that it would partner with Acker Sports to provide resources and educational services to its athletes.

On3 Sports predicts Manning's worth

Although Manning's family background makes it difficult to predict his future worth, On3 Sports still aims to better understand the athlete's worth to Texas.

Through an algorithm developed by spiny.ai, On3 Sports values Manning at $3.4 million. It considers various factors, such as an athlete's social media presence and on-field performance. Before Manning committed to Texas, the website had valued him at around $3.1 million.

"The Ark is a valuable commodity, no matter where it goes," said the senior editor at On3 Sports, Jeremy Crabtree.

Although On3 Sports does not provide a projection of the value of Manning's assets, it does maintain a rough estimate of his price. This is because its range is nowhere near its potential.

Despite the new law prohibiting specific void deals, Manning has not yet struck a deal. Pete Nakos, a reporter for On3 Sports, noted that if he does, it could increase his value.

Manning did not use social media to announce his commitment to Texas. He only sent a tweet and posted a photo on Instagram, which was his preferred platform. In 2018, he also deactivated his Twitter account.

Unlike Bronie James, the son of LA Lakers star LeBron James, Manning's zero strategies have been different. Like Manning, Bronie is still in high school. He has also scored several zero deals, including his own underwear line. His active social media presence allowed him to become On3 Sports' most valuable athlete at $6.4 million.

Although Manning has not actively participated in social media, his lack of activity does not prevent him from becoming a high-value athlete like James. Even if he did not try to take advantage of him, his potential wealth could be as high as that of a four-time NBA champion.

"When Arch speaks it might just be because he hasn't done much on social media," said Crabtree. "It's a little counterintuitive so to speak because you see a lot of student-athletes across the spectrum who tweet a lot, who post a lot about their zero deals and do promotional and branded content and things like that. But I think it might just mean more with Arch because it could carry a little bit more weight because of Manning's last name."

Unlike other college athletes, Manning's last name is not associated with the school he committed to. This means that his zero value will not be affected by the school he chooses to attend.

Manning is headed to a school that has done a better job of promoting its athletes' brands. According to a report released last month, Texas has already earned over $2 million in zero. Many schools do a lot of promotional and branded content for their student-athletes.