On Saturday, Texas defeated UTSA convincingly, 56-7. The biggest (and most talked-about) play was a 67-yard rushing touchdown by Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, the nephew of Peyton Manning and Eli Manning and grandson of Archie Manning.
Arch Manning Reached 20.7 MPH, Beating Out Tyreek Hill and Marvin Harrison Jr.
It was shocking to see a member of the Manning family dominate with their legs, but people were even more surprised when they learned Manning’s top speed on that play.
Manning reached a blazing 20.7 miles per hour on the touchdown run, according to Reel Analytics, which is described as “an AI-powered sports tech and data company analyzing video to measure athleticism so coaches can evaluate talent more accurately.”
CAN'T TOUCH HIM 😮💨@ArchManning pic.twitter.com/65nR57qIR5
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 15, 2024
For comparison, the top speed that Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill has reached this season was just 20.3 miles per hour, per Next Gen Stats.
It’s worth noting that Hill has topped 20.7 mph in the past — he just hasn’t managed to reach that speed this season. As a rookie in 2016, Hill posted the fastest speed in the NFL’s Next Gen Stats database, reaching 23.24 miles per hour on a kick return. In 2023, he posted the third-, seventh-, and ninth-fastest times of any player in the NFL, eclipsing 21.5 miles per hour on four different occasions.
MORE: Who Is the Fastest NFL Player?
Manning’s run was also faster than Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who topped out at a speed of 16.7 miles per hour during his dominant 130-yard, two-touchdown Week 2, according to Next Gen Stats.
Manning’s athleticism isn’t a huge surprise, as he ran track and field as a sophomore in high school and he made some impressive rushing plays in high school too. Throughout his high school career, Arch totaled 1,155 rushing yards.
Peyton raved about Arch’s athleticism during a recent appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“My dad’s speed and athletic ability skipped a generation,” Peyton said. “He can run. He can move.”
As Peyton pointed out, Archie was actually a solid athlete, rushing for 2,197 throughout his 13-year NFL career. Meanwhile, Peyton totaled 667 rushing yards over the course of his 17-year NFL career, while Eli recorded 567 rushing yards throughout his 16 years in the league.
After the win over UTSA, Arch was asked about his impressive rushing touchdown, and he told reporters: “When the adrenaline kicks in, it helps you run a bit faster.”
Manning finished the win over UTSA with 223 passing yards and four passing touchdowns on a 75% completion percentage while also rushing for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Manning was a five-star recruit who was hyped up as a potential generational prospect after he broke Eli’s career passing yard record and Peyton’s career passing touchdown record at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans.