Is Florida entering the mix for 5-Star Plus+ QB Arch Manning?

For the longest time, it had appeared that New Orleans Isidore Newman Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Arch Manning had settled on unofficial top five schools.

He visited Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Texas and Ole Miss during the fall and there was an early rumor that he might even commit at the end of the season.

Then came the coaching carousel, which, like for many prospects, forced some re-evaluation in Manning’s camp.

One school that may be able to take advantage of this reset is Florida.

“(Billy) Napier and his staff seem primed to make a strong push for Manning, sources tell On3,” On3’s Sam Spiegelman said. “His offensive-minded coaching style has been well-received by Manning and there are Louisiana ties on staff with Jabbar Juluke and Corey Raymond.”

Napier paid a visit to New Orleans to visit Manning’s high school last month.

Manning is taking his time throughout his process and won’t make a decision unless he is 100% committed. That gives the Gators, and any other team diving into the mix now, a better opportunity to try and develop those necessary connections needed to land the nation’s best quarterback recruit.

“Sources with knowledge of Manning’s recruitment believe it could come after his campus tour ahead of his senior season at Newman,” Spiegelman said. “There’s a sense that the Manning family would like the decision out of the way by then. However, they will not rush it.”

Arch Manning is special

Arch Manning is ranked as the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

He is one of three 2023 Five-Star Plus+ recruits along with Los Alamitos (Calif.) quarterback Malachi Nelson and Lakeland (Fla.) Lake Gibson cornerback Cormani McClain

Manning currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.6 million, which ranks fifth in the On3 NIL 100. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

His On3 NIL Valuation is the highest among all high school football players, regardless of class.