Former Texas, Texas A&M stars go back and forth after Arch Manning commitment

Arch Manning Watch came to an end on Thursday when he announced his commitment to Texas. Longhorn Nation, understandably, celebrated — but the jokes remained aplenty.

Texas is coming off its first season under Steve Sarkisian, which ended with a 5-7 record to just miss out on a bowl game. Former Texas A&M star Leon O’Neal Jr. tweeted that figure after Manning made the announcement before eventually deleting the tweet.

“5-7,” O’Neal said prior to deleting it.

But former Texas star Josh Thompson saw the tweet before O’Neal pulled it down and called him out.

“Texas stay on yo mind huh Fam?” Thompson responded.

It’s all been part of a whirlwind day for the Longhorns, who added to their already impressive quarterback room. Former Five Star Plus+ quarterback Quinn Ewers transferred in from Ohio State this offseason and joins former four-star recruit Hudson Card. Now, Texas will have another former Five Star Plus+ recruit coming in in Manning — the No. 1 recruit in the nation, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

In fact, Manning is ranked as the nation’s No. 1 prospect by all four major recruiting media companies, according to the industry comparison tool.

Pete Thamel reveals main factor for Arch Manning committing to Texas, impact on future of the program

Arch Manning could’ve played college football wherever he wanted, and he announced on Thursday he’s choosing Texas. Afterward, Pete Thamel of ESPN explained what he believes is the main factor for the Five Star Plus+ quarterback choosing to play for the Longhorns.

“I really think the main factor in this decision, I have to give him credit, is Steve Sarkisian,” Thamel said. “Steve Sarkisian is one of the top quarterback coaches, and top play-callers in all of football. He’s been an NFL offensive coordinator with the Falcons. He was an NFL quarterbacks coach with the Raiders. Obviously, we saw the assembly line of high-end quarterbacks under his tutelage at Alabama, Tua Tagovailoa to Mac Jones.

“I really feel like the NFL preparation available for Arch Manning in Austin ended up being the difference maker for Texas.”

Over the course of his childhood, Manning watched his uncles — Peyton and Eli Manning — become football royalty due to long professional careers. Evidently, Thamel believes Arch Manning is choosing the program he believes can best prepare him for that level of play.

While the decision is a huge one for the star quarterback, it’s also monumental for Texas. According to Thamel, the commitment of Manning could signal a long-awaited return to the top of college football for the program.