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WATCH: Arch Manning throws pair of wild touchdown passes

Wg0vf-nP_400x400by:Keegan Pope•11/05/21•

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New Orleans (La.) Isidore Newman quarterback Arch Manning showcased his elite arm strength, improvisational skills, and surprising mobility on Friday night. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound signal-caller is the No. 1 player in the 2023 class, according to the industry generated On3 Consensus. And he showed exactly why.

In the first half of Isidore Newman’s game, Manning scrambled halfway across the field and then back before delivering a strike to his left as he got hit.

On the next drive, Manning scrambled to his left and headed toward the end zone. When defenders converged on him, he option pitched the ball to an open receiver for the score.

Through six games, Manning has completed 63 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,327 yards, 17 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Through three seasons as a varsity starter at Newman, he’s amassed more than 5,600 passing yards and 72 touchdowns. He can do it on the ground, too. Manning is averaging 10.1 yards per carry on 28 rushes this season, and he’s scored four times.

Arch Manning impressed by visit to Ole Miss

Manning, the No. 1 overall player in the On3 Consensus, tripped to Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss, and most recently, Clemson. Each of the schools is vying for the services of the best junior in the country, and each has a different pitch.

His head coach, Nelson Stewart, told 247Sports that Manning came away impressed with his trip to Ole Miss on Oct. 23. That weekend, the school honored his uncle Eli, whose No. 10 jersey was retired. “Manning” was painted into both end zones, supposedly as just a tribute to Eli. But savvy recruiters know what they’re doing.

“He just said he really enjoyed before the game on the field talking to (Jeff) Lebby and Kiffin and the environment was great. A great college town. He said it was probably the best conversation he had, and they were able to relate and talk, and it was an authentic good conversation. And he really enjoyed talking to them.”

Manning and his family also came away impressed with the trip to Clemson last weekend. Stewart said Manning got to spend time with head coach Dabo Swinney and his lead recruiter, quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter.

“He and his parents really enjoyed it,” Stewart told ClemsonSports. “People were great. Environment was great. Loved talking to the coaches. Always conveys just how welcoming and friendly everyone is across the board.”

Texas is in the lead right now

Although he hasn’t given much away publicly about his recruitment, Arch Manning has been very impressed by Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian. The two have developed a great relationship, Manning told InsideTexas. It started during Sarkisian’s tenure as the offensive coordinator at Alabama and has only grown since then.

“(Sark) is a laid back guy, which I really like,” Manning said. “He’s not always pitching me. He just checks in and that’s one thing I like about him. When it is football, he’s a genius.”

And according to On3’s expert predictions, Texas is likely the team to beat. There is more than a year still to go until Manning could officially sign, and his recruitment is only going to heat up from here. His visits this fall will go a long way in shaping his final decision though, he told InsideTexas’ Justin Wells.

And while Texas has made lots of in-roads, both Georgia and Alabama look to be teams that can’t be counted out just yet. Manning played in front of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart last week and Steve Sarkisian the week before that. Head coach Nick Saban has pitched Manning on being part of college football’s most dominant program and playing alongside elite talent. Whether he and offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien can convince the latest Manning prodigy to come to Tuscaloosa remains to be seen, but the Crimson Tide will not go lightly.