Arch Manning was thrust further into the national spotlight after announcing his commitment to the University of Texas last week. As the top-ranked recruit continues to deal with the expectations and pressure placed upon him, a fellow quarterback who recently stood in similar shoes is offering some advice.
Like Manning, the Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence was once regarded as one of the top high school quarterbacks ever. Now in his second season in the NFL, the 22-year-old encouraged Manning to manage the colossal expectations surrounding him.
“I’m sure he has a lot of good people in his corner that can help him, but I’d say it’s really important to learn how to manage expectations,” Lawrence told The Spun. “It’s important to block out all the noise. The only voices you should listen to are your internal expectations of yourself, your teammates, your coaches and family. You should try to block everything else out.”
Arch Manning announced his commitment to the University of Texas. AP
Like Manning, the Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence was once regarded as one of the top high school quarterbacks ever. GettyManning does have a plethora of good people in his corner, as the five-star recruit is the nephew of two Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks in Eli and Peyton Manning. He’s additionally joining a storied Longhorns football program that only looks to be getting stronger following his commitment – not long after his announcement, seven new prospects committed to Texas.
With this strong supporting cast alongside him, many will expect immediate greatness from Manning. Nevertheless, Lawrence said the young signal-caller should take it one day at a time.
“There’s going to be a lot on his plate, but you have to show up ready to learn and grow,” Lawrence said. “You’re not going to be perfect from day one, but he is really talented and has a lot of abilities.
“He needs to carry that confidence over while knowing you do have to start over,” Lawrence added. “You have to do that at every level. It’s something I’m going through right now in the NFL. So you need to realize you’re there for a reason, but you have to earn that respect from your teammates. He seems like a quarterback who’ll do great.”
Lawrence has good reason to believe Manning is destined for future success. In 27 career starts at Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans, the 6-foot-4 quarterback, who will be a senior this year, has thrown for 5,731 yards to go alongside 72 touchdowns and just 18 interceptions. The dual-threat quarterback also has accumulated 671 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground.
