Head coach of 2023 QB Arch Manning talks Clemson, return visit timeline

Out of all the junior prospects Clemson has offered, arguably the biggest name of the bunch is Arch Manning.

Along with the rich football tradition in his family, Manning represents an opportunity for the Tigers to continue adding stellar talent to their quarterback room.

The top-ranked 2023 recruit on On3 is not one to conduct interviews on a regular basis, but we did get to catch up with his head coach, Nelson Stewart, earlier today.

Stewart spoke with Clemson Sports about Clemson’s pursuit of Manning, how his summer visit to the school went, a time frame for his return, and much more.

“He was able to speak with Coach [Brandon] Streeter on Sept. 1, that’s when they connected,” Stewart said of Manning. “I ended up doing a FaceTime with [Streeter] and having a good conversation. They’ve been in contact. Brandon has just done a good job from the very beginning of cultivating a relationship with him.”

“He’s going to be down here pretty soon, if not very soon, to see him play in person,” Stewart added. “Coach Streeter has done a great job and I think they’re in a really good spot with him.”

Clemson’s culture impressed Manning in June

Streeter will soon be in attendance for a game, but cannot talk with Manning due to NCAA rules. Fortunately for him and the staff, they’ve already met in person as Manning showcased his skill set at a Clemson camp in June.

That visit also featured a tour of the campus and facilities, with Manning having one major takeaway from his experience.

“I think the first thing, and you hear it time and again, is their culture,” Stewart said of what stood out to Manning. “The buying in just from everybody across the board. How beautiful everything was. Just extremely organized… really nice town and I think he really enjoyed the campus.”

Another important factor for Manning in his recruitment is stability amongst the coaches. Based on this visit and researching the team, Manning has been able to check that box off with the Tigers.

“The camaraderie on the staff,” Stewart also highlighted. “Clemson’s strength is, obviously, that it is a very established program. All the assistants have stayed. Their offense has been intact with Coach [Tony] Elliott and Coach Streeter.”

Culture, a coaching staff’s stability, the student body, teachers, and other elements of a school will be weighed carefully by Manning.

It also wouldn’t hurt a program’s chances with him if they’ve been successful with signal callers. Stewart noted that the Tigers have certainly put together a strong case when it comes to development of QBs.

“You look all the way through Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence and those guys that have gone on to the NFL,” Stewart said. “Clemson does a really good job. They’re very intentional with how they groom quarterbacks. I think it’s a proven process. They don’t just offer every quarterback, and I think it’s something they put a lot of time into and are very thorough.”

A trip to Death Valley this season is likely

Clemson was Manning’s first stop in the summer, but definitely not his last.

The product of Isidore Newman High School also checked out Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, SMU and Texas.

“He did, I thought, a really thorough job of going to see the schools that have recruited him the hardest and got on him early,” Stewart said. “I think his goal was to come out of July having preliminary visits, which he did… now, he’s just been focused on football. That’s just how he is.”

You’ll notice that along with not doing too many interviews, Manning has no presence on social media. Stewart says Manning, who is not your typical recruit, enjoys game plan reviews that is sent to him on Sunday and stays late in practice to perfect his footwork.

While recruiting is in the rear-view mirror so he can lock in on his junior season, Stewart expects Manning to return to Clemson this fall.

“I do expect that he is going to go to Death Valley,” Stewart said. “He does plan to go visit, but he does not have the specific game, especially with everything going on. But he does plan to visit Clemson and see a game.”

Besides hearing from the colleges on his offer sheet, Manning is also in touch with Notre Dame, Ohio State and Stanford.

A decision date is not set in stone, but Stewart says once Manning makes his commitment, that will be his final decision.

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