Georgia fans welcome Arch Manning to Athens with full-body paint

Arch Manning, the son of Cooper Manning, was welcomed with open arms by Georgia Bulldogs’ fans today in Athens, Georgia.

Manning, On3’s No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023, is the son of Cooper Manning, nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning and grandson of Archie Manning. The five-star quarterback out of Isidore Newman in New Orleans, Louisiana is making his first game-visit of the fall on Saturday, where he’ll see the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs take on the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Georgia fans did their best to impress the high school junior on Saturday, as a slew of fans painted “We Want Arch” on their backs for the signal caller to see. The section of fans, known as the “UGA Paint Line,” frequently populate section 110 in Sanford Stadium with full-body paint.

The fans want 5-star quarterback Arch Manning.😂 pic.twitter.com/jihKAzcMk9

— Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi) September 18, 2021

Manning has passed for over 4000 yards in his first two high school seasons and 55 touchdowns. Isidore Newman’s schedule was derailed by Hurricane Ida, but the Greenies will be resuming play as soon as possible.

Saturday marks Manning’s second trip to Athens this year, as he visited the Bulldogs in June.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and over 200 pounds, Manning has enormous expectations surrounding him heading into his junior campaign, as he’s ranked No. 1 in his class but 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.”

Charles Power on Arch Manning

Power has raved about Arch for quite some time. He says that Arch’s release and throwing motion sets him apart, both in terms of accuracy and speed.

“Simply put, Arch Manning has one of the quickest and purest releases I’ve seen from a high school quarterback,” Powers wrote. “His throwing motion is concise with no moving parts. The ball consistently comes out quick. In-person, it’s almost easy to not notice the release unless you’re watching it explicitly.”

Powers also harped on Manning’s physical maturation, among other traits.

“Upon seeing Arch Manning in person this summer, I immediately took note of his size,” he wrote. He’s over 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds — adding several inches and over 40 pounds since popping up on the recruiting radar a few years ago. There’s no question Manning is bigger in person than you’d expect.”