Alabama ready to roll out red carpet for No. 1 junior Arch Manning

After a visit to Georgia that featured chest-painted, red-wigged Dawg fans spelling out “We Want Arch,” Arch Manning will be in Tuscaloosa this weekend for the Ole Miss–Alabama game.

Manning – the nation’s No. 1 junior prospect out of New Orleans Isidore Newman and the third generation of Manning quarterbacks set to star in college football – will be the toast of T-Town. He’ll be the most important visitor among an impressive list of prospects at the game.

Arch is the son of Cooper Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli and the grandson of Archie. Peyton, Eli and Archie were All-SEC stars who reached the NFL. Eli won two Super Bowl MVPs, while Peyton landed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Manning plans to go to Texas on Oct. 16, Ole Miss on Oct. 23 and Clemson on Oct. 30. Manning previously said he could visit local Tulane and remains in contact with LSU and Stanford as well. 

The battle for the five-star quarterback’s commitment is shaping up to be one of the biggest in recent memory.

It’s so big that Nick Saban subtly dropped a recruiting pitch for Manning when he visited ESPN’s Monday Night Football “ManningCast” to chat with Peyton and Eli.

“As the quarterback, it’s really important that you have good players around you,” Saban said during the visit.

Arch Manning’s recruitment will be a circus

Manning’s recruitment is expected to be wild and full of twists and turns until he makes a final decision.

For example, up until a few weeks ago, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin followed only two people on Instagram – his star quarterback Matt Corral and Manning.

While Peyton is a Tennessee alum, Eli and Archie attended Ole Miss, perhaps making Oxford a more appealing destination if Arch decides to follow in family footsteps.

Eli’s uniform No. 10 and Archie’s No. 18 are retired by the Ole Miss Rebels; Eli was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2003, and Archie was the SEC Player of the Year in 1969.

Manning has passed for more than 4,000 yards in his first two high school seasons, with 55 touchdowns.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and over 200 pounds, Manning has enormous expectations surrounding him, as he’s ranked No. 1 in his class by most every recruiting outlet.

“The scion of one of America’s top sporting families has already become one of the more well-known football recruits in the nation despite just entering the 11th grade,” On3 Sports’ director of scouting Charles Power said. “Despite the amount of external attention, Arch Manning has continued to show he’s deserving of the lofty status. . . . He burst on the scene as with a big freshman season, and showed continued physical progression last fall.”

‘Don’t put extra pressure on yourself’

Eli Manning was a guest on “The Pat McAfee Show” recently, and shared the advice he’s given Arch Manning.

“Just enjoy it, work hard at it, be a great teammate,” Eli Manning said during the interview. “You’ll figure out where you’re going to play college. You’ll make a good decision, you’ll know the right spot. Then you’ll enjoy that time as well. But don’t miss out on this time in your life because people want you to make a decision or, you know, don’t put extra pressure on yourself.”

Eli said he can’t even begin to comprehend the amount of pressure on his nephew.

“I feel for him,” Manning said. “I mean, he’s got so much pressure, so many expectations. People say, ‘Hey, I hear your nephew is going to be the best of all of y’all.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s no pressure.’ Peyton just went into the Hall of Fame this year. It’s not hard to become better than him and have a better career.”

Eli said he’s doing what he can to pass along words of wisdom to Arch.

Manning making viral plays

With all the attention, Arch Manning has delivered so far this season. Video of his play each week has gone viral, including a five-touchdown performance in a 49-21 rout of Metairie Park Country Day. He’s also made several big plays in the run game, including dragging multiple defenders for first-down runs.