This Eli Manning kid is going places.
ESPN will debut the third season of its original series Eli’s Places, which travels the country in a (college-) “football-is-life” sorta way, on Wednesday, August 27. The Hollywood Reporter can debut the official trailer on, well, now.
Eli’s Places is produced by Omaha Productions, the banner cofounded by Manning’s big brother Peyton Manning and former Fox Sports national networks’ president Jamie Horowitz; NFL Films, now owned by ESPN, also produces the series. Eli’s Places is a collegiate-set spinoff of Peyton’s Places, which teaches the storied history of the pro game.
Season three of Eli’s Places is 10-episodes long. Among the happs: Eli sets a toilet-paper world record at Auburn’s Toomer’s Corner, re-creates the first batch of Gatorade with former Florida Gators head coach Steve Spurrier, and honors the late Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach’s via a whole pirate thing. Plus, as first reported by THR in our Aug. 20 cover story, Eli Manning will revive his Chad Powers character opposite the new Chad Powers, actor Glen Powell (Hit Man, Top Gun: Maverick).
In a 2022 episode of Eli’s Places, the retired New York Giants legend went undercover — under a wig and prostheses — as Penn State walk-on Chad Powers. He looked odd (and old) and spoke with an odd voice, but Powers could throw the deep ball. Powell and Michael Waldron (Heels) adapted the viral sketch into a six-episode (thus far) Hulu comedy series. In Chad Powers, Powell plays disgraced college QB Russ Holliday whose only path back to football is by playing in disguise as, you guessed it, Chad Powers.
But that’s Chad Powers, and this is Eli’s Places, on which James Austin Johnson, the guy who plays Donald Trump on SNL, leads the long list of guest stars for season three. Other guests for Eli’s junior season (or redshirt-sophomore season if you prefer) include Bo Nix (Denver Broncos QB & former Auburn QB), Kirby Smart (head coach, University of Georgia), Andrew Luck (former Stanford QB & current Stanford Football GM), Steve Sarkisian (head coach, University of Texas), Colt McCoy (former Texas QB), Martellus Bennett (former Texas A&M TE), Kliff Kingsbury (offensive coordinator, Washington Commanders), Bill Cowher (Pro Football Hall of Fame coach) and Kyle Brandt (host, Good Morning Football).
“I’m thrilled to be back for Season 3 and to continue telling all the great stories college football has to offer,” Eli Manning told THR. “We’re featuring so many incredible athletes and teams from campuses across the country, and even break a world record this season!”
With toilet paper.
New Eli’s Places episodes premiere on Wednesdays on ESPN+ in the ESPN app.
Watch the trailer here:
