Recruiting Visits: Arch Manning in Alabama, top targets to see Ohio St.

The biggest recruiting story in the 2023 class continues this weekend, as Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Arch Manning makes his third consecutive weekend visit. After tripping to Georgia and Texas the past two weekends, the nation’s No. 1 overall player will be part of a loaded group in Tuscaloosa over the next few days.

The Crimson Tide are considered one of the major contenders for Manning, alongside Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss, and to a lesser degree, LSU and Florida. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine gives Alabama a 33.1 percent chance of landing Manning, just behind Texas (39.6%) and ahead of Georgia (18.5%).

Manning has built a strong rapport with offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who stuck around T-Town this year after receiving interest from several NFL and college jobs elsewhere. Head coach Nick Saban attended one of Arch’s basketball games this winter, and he’s their very clear No. 1 priority at quarterback. That is especially the case after five-star Nico Iamaleava, another QB prospect at the top of Alabama’s board, committed to Tennessee.

Joining Manning this weekend will be a host of elite 2023 prospects, including five-star safety Caleb Downs, top-30 EDGE Jayden Wayne and four-star defensive lineman Reuben Bain. On the offensive side of the ball, Justice Haynes, the country’s No. 3 running back, and four-star wideout Hykeem Williams are expected to be in attendance.

One of the more interesting expected visitors is four-star Snellville (Ga.) signal-caller Dylan Lonergan. The nation’s No. 8 QB, Lonergan is one of just five players at the position in this class that Alabama has offered. Of that group, two are already committed elsewhere, with Manning and recent offer Eli Holstein being the others. The latter visited the Crimson Tide last weekend, and it would appear Alabama wants to have options if Manning does ultimately commit elsewhere.

Massive weekend for Ohio State on tap

If there’s a program with a bigger recruiting weekend on the docket than what Alabama is, it is taking place up in Columbus. Ohio State has largely been out of the conversation with elite quarterback prospects in the 2023 class, save for one: Detroit (Mich.) King’s Dante Moore. He is the Buckeyes’ headliner and one of their biggest targets in the 2023 class. He’ll be on campus for a multi-day visit, as will 2024’s top QB Dylan Raiola.

Moore is leaning toward Notre Dame, according to the On3 RPM, which sizes up the Fighting Irish’s at 75.7 percent. Ohio State is further down the list and has some strong competition within the Midwest and across the country. Florida, LSU, Michigan and Michigan State are also heavily pursuing Moore, the nation’s No. 4 quarterback.

As for Raiola, Ohio State is one of a handful of schools that has made an early impression on him.

“Coach Day is a very special coach, especially when it comes to developing quarterbacks,” Raiola told Lettermen Row earlier this month. “And the way his offense is designed creates great opportunities for success in many different ways. He was the one that offered me and he told me before he offered me that he’s so glad that I came up for the game day visit because he said there’s something about looking a man in his eyes and speaking face to face.”

On top of having two elite quarterbacks in the next two classes, Ohio State will welcome a number of the country’s elite skill position players on both sides of the ball. Included in the expected visitor list are: Five-Star Plus+ CB Cormani McClain, four-star running backs Cedric Baxter Jr. and Mark Fletcher, five-star wide receiver Carnell Tate, and four-star wideouts Jalen Hale and Brandon Inniss. Elite 2024 wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Joshisa Trader, the No. 1 overall player in the 2024 On3 Consensus, will be on campus as well.

“Ohio State has waited patiently before having its first real big recruiting weekend of the 2023 cycle but that wait is over,” Birmingham told On3. “The Buckeyes will welcome in a number of their top overall targets in the 2023 class and the 2024 class over the April 1 weekend. Top quarterback targets in both classes, highest-priority receivers in both groups and key running back targets in Cedric Baxter and Mark Fletcher are the highlights. Ryan Day will have all of his 2023 commitments in town and the goal is simple: connect and build rapport toward the next big recruiting event: June official visits.”

Other notable visits around the country

• Once it was no longer involved in the Arch Manning sweepstakes, Clemson has focused its attention heavily on Birmingham (Ala.) Briarwood Christian QB Christopher Vizzina. The Tigers’ coaching staff, including head coach Dabo Swinney, have made it abundantly clear he is their No. 1 target at the position in this class. After visiting for the Tigers’ Junior Day in late January, Vizzina will be back again on Monday to see spring practice. Swinney and Co. are the current favorites, according to the RPM, and another strong visit could really push them into a tier by themselves. The Tigers don’t have a huge weekend of visitors lined up, but they will be rolling out the red carpet for four-star linebacker Jamal Anderson, another prospect they currently hold the lead for.
  
• LSU hosted a couple of huge visitors weekends in early to mid-March, but things have been mostly quiet since then around Baton Rouge. The Tigers won’t be hosting an Alabama or Ohio State-level weekend, but there’s a number of big names expected in town. At the top of the list is four-star defensive lineman Hunter Osborne, along with On3 top-60 EDGE Derion Gullette and St. Frances Academy (Md.) DL Dashawn Womack, among others. The Tigers aren’t considered the favorite for any of the three right now, but Brian Kelly and Co. have momentum on the recruiting trail, and this weekend could go a long way in turning the tables.
  
• Texas had one of its biggest recruiting weekends in recent memory a week ago, with dozens of top prospects — including Manning — on campus at the Forty Acres. This one will be quieter, but one of the Longhorns’ biggest targets in the 2023 cycle will be in town: five-star in-state linebacker Anthony Hill. Joining him will be the nation’s No. 4 cornerback, Javien Toviano, as well as top-50 wide receiver Johntay Cook II. Texas is in good position with each one — considered either the leader or co-leader in all three recruitments by the RPM. Cook appears to be the strongest lean to the Longhorns, and his relationship with Arch Manning is well-documented. Those two, along with elite running back Rueben Owens, have talked extensively about playing together at the college level.