Steve Sarkisian explains what he appreciates most about newly-signed Arch Manning

Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Arch Manning made things official on Wednesday, signing with the Texas Longhorns. Head coach Steve Sarkisian beat out the likes of Alabama, Georgia, and Ole Miss for the elite prospect, sending the recruiting world into a frenzy this summer.

Manning never wavered on his commitment either and is now a part of the Longhorns’ program.

With Manning sending his Letter of Intent in, Sarkisian is now allowed to publicly discuss Manning. During an appearance on Longhorn Network, the Texas head coach said watching the On3 Consensus No. 1 overall prospect work at his “craft” is what he appreciates the most.

“Well, I think it’s easy to see the physical attributes,” Sarkisian said. “The size, the arm strength. But the competitiveness. And the thing I love about it, he works at his craft.

“His name is his name, but if you remove the last name off of him and you look at the player and the way he goes about his business, he works at his craft.”

Manning comes from a quite famous lineage in the football world, being the nephew of NFL Hall of Famers — Peyton and Eli. His father, Cooper, was a good player too, spending time at Ole Miss as a wide receiver.

Of course, all three sons stem from Archie, who the newest Manning quarterback is the most compared to.

What may set Arch Manning out from the rest of them though is his work ethic. Sarkisian was quick to credit the effort his newest signing puts into becoming an elite quarterback. Even on a random, cold morning in early December.

“The beauty of it,” Sarkisian began. “He signs at 7 a.m. He signed and then was working out at 7:05. So, that should kind of tell you the type of work ethic that he has. The drive to be great.”

Manning will step foot on campus in January, going through spring practice with Texas. He is expected to take a redshirt season and learn under Sarkisian, while Quinn Ewers continues as the team’s starting quarterback.

If everything goes to plan, Manning will be leading the offense to kick off the 2024 season. Based on the comments Sarkisian is making before arriving on campus, Manning is going to be ready to go from the get-go.