Could Texas QB Arch Manning become the first in his family to win the Heisman Trophy?

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The Manning family has combined to win five NFL MVP awards, four Super Bowl titles, three Super Bowl MVP awards and plenty of other football-related trophies over the years.

But there's one award that Peyton, Eli and their father Archie were never able to put on the mantle: the Heisman Trophy.

Arch Manning will now look to accomplish something his uncles and grandfather never could. The Texas Longhorns sophomore quarterback is taking on a starting role this year for the pre-season's top-ranked college football team, and he is one of the favorites for the award.

"The Heisman conversation has to start with Arch Manning," NBC Sports college football insider Nicole Auerbach told NBC Local. "He is taking over as a starting quarterback in Texas, they are the preseason No. 1 team in the country for a reason. And the big part of that expectation is because Arch Manning has been in this system, been in this quarterback room for two-plus years."

His last name and family pedigree only add to his Heisman hype as he looks to become the first in the family to be named the top player in college football. Peyton Manning was Heisman runner-up in 1997 to Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson, who became the first defensive player to win the award. Eli Manning finished third in 2003 behind Oklahoma quarterback Jason White and Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

Arch Manning, the 21-year-old son of Cooper Manning, showed flashes of a future Heisman winner in 10 games last season. Serving primarily as a changeup to starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, he completed 67.8 percent of his passes for a total of 939 yards and nine touchdowns with two interceptions. Also a reliable and athletic running threat, unlike his uncles, he rushed for 108 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries last season.

"He seems like he's got the Manning genes, right?" said Auerbach, host of the NBC Sports podcast "Rushing the Field." "We've seen the big arm, we've seen him actually move better, he's got wheels unlike his uncles. And it just feels like if he has the type of season we think he's capable of, he'll certainly be in New York City as a Heisman finalist and Texas will certainly be one of the favorites to win a National Championship."

In addition to his genes and potential, Arch Manning also has Heisman history on his side. It's a quarterback-dominated award, with the position having claimed 36 winners in its history.

Since 2000, 20 of the 25 winners of the award have been quarterbacks. Prior to former Colorado and current Jacksonville Jaguars dual-threat Travis Hunter winning last year as a cornerback and wide receiver, a quarterback had won the Heisman in each of the three previous years and in seven of the previous eight.

Arch Manning, as a redshirt sophomore, kicks off his first season as a starter on Aug. 30 when Texas faces defending national champion and No. 3-ranked Ohio State in its season opener. He is eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft, and very well could be selected No. 1 overall just like Peyton Manning in 1998 and Eli Manning in 2004, but he also has three years of college eligibility remaining.

So, if he so chooses, he could have a few opportunities to win the Heisman.

Arch Manning, of course, will have plenty of competition for the award this year from his fellow signal callers, including Clemson's Cade Klubnik, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and others.

"Elsewhere in the Heisman conversation, I think you're seeing quarterbacks at a number of places," Auerbach said. "LaNorris Sellers at South Carolina, I really like. I think he's a really engaging and fun player to watch. Same with DJ Lagway at Florida. And then again, just kind of the usual suspects, the star players at Penn State, the star players at Ohio State. It will be fascinating to see if Jeremiah Smith as a receiver has enough recognition and enough usage to stay in that Heisman race as well this year."

And keep the Heisman Trophy off the Manning family's mantle.