ARCH MADNESS: Five-Star Plus+ QB Arch Manning commits to the Texas Longhorns

When New Orleans (La.) Isidore Newman Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Arch Manning originally burst onto the recruiting landscape, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian made sure the Longhorns were one of the first teams in heavy pursuit of the gunslinger from football’s first family.

[Use promo code SUMMERRECRUITING and get 70 days of Inside Texas plus for $1]

Throughout the process for Arch and the rest of the Manning family, whether visiting campuses, meeting with coaches at Newman, or just fielding phone calls and texts, Texas let Manning know how much he was wanted in Austin. That relentless pursuit by Sarkisian, AJ Milwee, and a host of others involved with the Longhorn football program has paid off. Manning committed to Texas on Thursday, choosing the Longhorns over Georgia and Alabama.

[Inside Texas’ Arch Manning Predictions: Eric Nahlin (3/8/22) | Gerry Hamilton (5/9/22)]

Arch Manning, son of former Ole Miss wide receiver Cooper Manning, nephew of famed NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, and grandson of former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning, had one of the highest profile recruitments in recent memory. National powerhouses like Georgia, Clemson, and Alabama were involved from the jump. Other institutions with connections to the Mannings like Ole Miss, LSU, Tulane, SMU, and Virginia all were involved in some form or fashion.

Committed to the University of Texas. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/jHYbjBaF5K

— Arch Manning (@ArchManning) June 23, 2022

As the recruitment carried on, the list of suitors was winnowed down to a final three of Georgia, Alabama, and Texas. Manning took an official visit to Athens, Ga. that began on June 3, visited Tuscaloosa, Ala. the weekend of June 10, then took his official visit to Austin on June 17.

Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart and offensive coordinator Todd Monken gave Manning a strong pitch. It wasn’t enough to overcome what Sarkisian and Milwee had spent the better part of the last year cultivating with the No. 1 overall prospect according to the On3 Consensus.

Manning’s commitment is likely to have reverberating effects for Texas’ 2023 recruiting efforts. Several of the top prospects in Texas, as well as other highly-touted recruits around the nation, are familiar with the type of player Manning is. His talent attracts other talent. Now, Texas will work to capitalize on adding a second Five-Star Plus+ quarterback to its roster along with 2021 quarterback Quinn Ewers.

The recruiting effect is secondary. The primary effect? Sarkisian just gained a commitment from the best 2023 prospect for a position he describes as the most important in sports.

Excerpt from the Recruiting Notebook

Strengths: Good height and frame for the position. May not be done growing. Shows good functional athleticism in game settings. Will prove surprisingly elusive and faster than expected when the play breaks down. Has good film from both under center and in shotgun. Takeaway and drop are smooth with sure cross-steps.  Ball carriage is mid-chest and eyes remain downfield. Reaches the top of his drop with a balanced athletic base and ready to push off to deliver the ball. Reads both sides of the field and influences the safeties routinely with head movement. Resets his feet frequently as needed. Delivers a consistent, mostly three-quarters delivery that is compact and quick. Finishes with a nice wrist snap and usually on balance with a good transfer of lower body power to upper body movement. 

Ball rotation is usually pretty high RPM and the nose doesn’t dive. Drives the ball really well to the short zones and up the seams. Has arm strength to reach all zones. Accuracy is exceptional and ball placement is very good most of the time. Has a good feel for the required throw, showing great touch on the bucket throw and good drive on the driven throw.  Throws every route in what appears to be a pretty diverse playbook. Feel for the pass rush is instinctive and he knows his escape routes well. 

His best film is on the run with some very difficult throws both to his throwing hand side and also back against his body.  Makes a great off-schedule throw with regularity and clearly understands the body mechanics required to get the ball down the field in those situations (e.g., re-squaring his shoulders). His TD passes jumped up markedly this season (34). Scored eight rushing TD as a sophomore. Last name sounds familiar, hmm.

Areas for Improvement / Concern: I’d like to see the ball out a little earlier, especially on comebacks/curls/hooks. The receiver doesn’t need to wait for it. I’m concerned about the level of talent he’s playing with and against.  He’s clearly the best player on his team and an 8-0 regular season is no fluke, but there are a lot of plays where he’s running for his life (kinda like Archie). Interceptions are at a rate of 1 every 35 pass attempts for the career (Ewers is 1 every 80 and Klubnik 1 every 105). We don’t know the context of those interceptions.

Manning is the eighth member of Texas’ 2023 class, joining Ryan Niblett, Dylan Spencer, Jamel Johnson, Tre Wisner, Will Randle, Spencer Shannon, and S’Maje Burrell.

Arch Manning to Texas happened, and Inside Texas is the only place for continuing coverage of Steve Sarkisian winning one of the highest-profile recruitments in recent memory.

–Ian Boyd on how Arch Manning fits at Texas

–Gerry Hamilton on the best class scenario with Manning in the fold

–VIDEO: Eric Nahlin joins Bobby Burton to discuss the commitment

–Isidore Newman head coach Nelson Stewart on Arch Manning and Texas

–The perfect storm: How did Arch Manning end up committing to Texas?

Not an Inside Texas Plus member? Get the best in Texas Longhorns sports and recruiting coverage using promo code SUMMERRECRUITING and get 70 days for just $1! Sign up HERE today!