AUSTIN (KXAN) — He's in the game.
Ten days before the official worldwide release of EA Sports College Football 25, Texas quarterback Arch Manning called an audible, announcing he'll opt into the game and have his name, image and likeness featured on the Texas Longhorns roster.
Originally he declined to be part of the game, saying he wanted to focus on actual football rather than being in a video game. It releases July 19 on PlayStation 5 and XBox Series X|S.
Arch had some help changing the play via social media from his uncle Eli Manning, a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the New York Giants. The video posted on social media features Eli as "the coach" while Arch plays the game.
"This is the best way to focus on football!" Eli yelled at Arch after calling a play. The video then cuts to Arch wearing shoulder pads without a jersey and holding a game controller. He calls out a cadence and jokingly says "Omaha?" like his other uncle Peyton Manning famously did when he changed a play. He then completes a pass over the middle for a touchdown using his game character and ends it with, "EA Sports, I'm in the game," and flashes the Hook'em Horns hand signal.
Every player who opts into the game receives $600 and a free copy of the game through an NIL agreement with EA.
Arch goes into his sophomore season as the backup for Texas behind third-year starter Quinn Ewers. Last year, Arch's grandfather Archie Manning said Arch wouldn't take any NIL money before he was the starting quarterback.
Arch's first big NIL deal was with the trading card company Panini America, and a special edition card of Arch Manning was sold at auction for $102,500 benefitting local charities.
