Another Manning tasked with continuing his family’s dominance at quarterback took a step toward that point Thursday night.
Marshall Manning, the 14-year-old son of Peyton Manning, took the first two varsity snaps of his career with Baylor School and completed his first pass, relieving senior starter Keegan Croucher in the second quarter before Croucher returned.
“We planned it,” Baylor head coach Erik Kimrey told reporters postgame, according to USA Today. “I want Marshall to play in every game this year, even if it’s just like two plays like that. Hopefully it’ll be a lot more, but I felt like — we need him next year, and he needs to get ready. … We planned the plays he was gonna run, and he went in there and did a good job.”
During his first snap, Manning — wearing the same No. 16 that his father wore at Tennessee and that his cousin Arch currently wears with Texas — rolled right and threw a pass to Antwaun Adams near the right sideline.
A Brentwood Academy defender nearly knocked the pass to the field, but Manning had just enough height on his throw to get it over an outstretched hand — and he proceeded to hand the ball off on the next possession before returning to the bench, according to USA Today.
Kirmey said that he always plays his backups in non-region games, so that’ll mean more playing time for Manning throughout his first season at Baylor — a school he enrolled in after previously attending Kent Denver School in Colorado.
Manning entered the season as the backup behind Croucher — an Ole Miss commit — but with plenty of expectations, given his family’s history with the quarterback position.
Peyton won two Super Bowls and five MVP awards across a 17-year NFL career, while Manning’s uncle, Eli, won a pair of Super Bowls with the Giants, too.
His grandfather, Archie, was also a legendary college quarterback before embarking on a 14-year career with the Saints, and Arch, entering his third season with the Longhorns, could play his way into being the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft with a strong season.
