Steve Sarkisian opens up on Arch Manning recruitment: ‘I never talked to Peyton or Eli’

For a top-ranked recruit, Arch Manning kept things pretty casual on the recruiting trail. Although he has a pretty famous family, he didn’t make it about his last name, according to his new coach, Steve Sarkisian.

In fact, the Texas headman said he didn’t meet Manning’s famous uncles.

“I never talked to Peyton, I never talked to Eli,” Sarkisian told Taylor Lewan and Will Compton on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. “I talked to [Cooper], I talked to Ellen, I talked to Arch, I talked to Hyde, I talked to sister.”

Sarkisian spoke highly of the way Manning handled the recruiting process. A Five Star Plus+ prospect, Manning took official and unofficial visits before ultimately committing to Sarkisian and Texas. Throughout the process, Sarkisian said family came first, and they supported Manning’s decision — whatever it was.

“I tell his mom and dad all the time they did an unbelievable job raising him and in the process. … It was about the family,” Sarkisian said. “Truly, the family. It wasn’t about the Manning brand. It was about Arch Manning and is this the best fit for him to go to school football-wise, academically, socially, the city of Austin?

“And I think that’s why they got to a spot to where they could make a really kind of clear-minded decision, what was best for him and it wasn’t this enormous media circus. They kept that thing pretty tight. But they went about it in a really positive way. They took unofficial visits, they took official visits, they created relationships with the coaches at the varying schools. And they’re all great schools. Ultimately, they felt like this was the best place for him. And I think it came down to what he wanted and then, the family supported him.”

Manning arrives in Austin with plenty of hype as the No. 1 overall player from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s now expected to compete with Quinn Ewers — another former Five Star Plus+ recruit — to be Texas’ starting quarterback this season.

Manning has been able to get some work in with the Longhorns this spring after enrolling early. As spring practice rolls on, it sounds like those reps are paying off.

“Graduating early, it’s definitely been a great head start for me,” Manning said. “Coach [Torre] Becton and his staff have been very helpful. I’ve gotten bigger, faster, and stronger. He’s going to push you, and he wants what’s best for you. He asks you the first day you’re here, what do you want to do and what are your goals? He’s going to help you get there. That’s his job. He’s the best.”