Say what you will about Cooper Kupp, but the list of people who are buying into the hype continues to grow. During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show on Tuesday, fellow guest and former star wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. broached his love for the Rams third-round draft pick out of Eastern Washington.

McVay took that opportunity to heap even more praise on the 24-year-old receiver, noting that he performed incredibly in college against future pro-level defensive backs.

“He played against a lot of really big time players,” said McVay. “You go back to the Washington tape a few years back, his sophomore year, when he was going up against players like Budda Baker, Marcus Peters, guys like that. “He’s one of the more mature, polished college receivers that I’ve ever evaluated coming out. He’s got a plan, his ability to articulate what’s going on.”

McVay went on to reveal that even future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning is enamored with Kupp.

“We had a little bit of exposure with Peyton Manning this off-season and he had some interaction with at his camp over the last handful of years. And you know, Peyton really enjoyed throwing to him and that says a lot, ‘hey I’m throwing to Kupp, I know where he’s gonna be.'”

That presence that impressed the league’s greatest passer of all time that also lead McVay to then praise Kupp’s maturity by saying that he’s “a pro as a rookie.”

However, as a resident of Los Angeles, Eisen is privy to the rumor mill and his ears perked up at the mentioning of Manning’s name. The retired Manning has more than once been linked to the Rams organization via the NFL rumor mill since hanging up his cleats, but McVay clarified that his intel was gleaned merely from a hangout with mutual friends.

“Just a little bit of interaction just through some of the different connections that he has with people in our building, and he was just mentioning that at his passing camp over the last handful of years, Cooper’s been a participant.

The coach also went on to admit that he knows that rumors were started a few months back when Kayvon Webster posted Snapchat videos and photos of a causal dinner also attended by Manning, McVay, Andrew Whitworth and Robert Woods.

You can watch the full interview below: