Will Archie Manning pull a Deion Sanders for his grandson? NFL dynasty patriarch wants him drafted to shock team

Arch Manning, current backup quarterback for the Texas Longhorns, is a long-anticipated talent in college football. He hasn't even played his first full season as a starter and folks are already mocking him to NFL teams as a redshirt freshman.

His own folks in particular are starting to weigh in on that speculation and not in the way you'd think. The family dispelled any rumors of a "fast track" for Arch to the pros in which he would bypassed current starter Quinn Ewers this year when the latter was injured.

However, now with Texas in the SEC Championship Game and the program destined for the College Football Playoff regardless of the result, the Manning is starting to look ahead, far, far ahead for his grandson.

Archie Manning, the dynasty patriarch, told what appears to be a fan in a public restaurant that he wants Arch to be drafted by the Dallas Cowboys once he declares for the NFL.

"If somebody asked me I'd say the Cowboys," Archie told the fan on camera, laughing along. It's unclear if he knew he was being recorded at the time.

"I hope he plays three years at Texas," he added, clearly emphasizing what the family had said about a supposed "fast-track" earlier in the year.

Arch Manning, Dallas Cowboy? Could his grandfather influence where the Longhorn phenom lands in the NFL?

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders has received a lot of flak over the last two years for repeatedly saying he would get involved in where his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, will be drafted after this season.

Now, it'll be left to seen if Archie's comments will receive the same kind of reaction. In all likelihood, probably not considering Arch still has several years of his college career left to prove himself.

But to see another Manning have his NFL Draft future seemingly predetermined by Archie would be one heck of a full circle. As some will remember, his son Eli was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in 2004 but ultimately forced the team to trade him to the New York Giants in a monumental draft day move including Philip Rivers.

There's still years of speculation left to be had over Arch's future but whether this deliberate or unforced error by Archie sparks a firestorm to kick it off will be interesting to observe.