The End Of An Era: Arch Manning Contemplates Leaving Texas longhorns Behind…
Arch Manning to Texas was always going to be complicated…
Being a quarterback and a Manning assured it. It was news two years ago when ESPN dropped Archie’s grandson and Peyton’s nephew from the No. 1 overall to — gasp! — No. 2.
Being a quarterback and a Manning assured it. It was news two years ago when ESPN dropped Archie’s grandson and Peyton’s nephew from the No. 1 overall to — gasp! — No. 2.
Then it got weird. One national recruiting expert said if Arch’s last name wasn’t Manning he’d be a three-star prospect. 247Sports, by the way, held firm and ranked Manning No. 1 overall in a 2023 Class glittering with QB star power.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. No matter what happens, Manning is learning under Steve Sarkisian, a known quarterback-maker.
“Historically for us, part of your recruiting is your track record,” Sarkisian said. “We’ve been fortunate to coach some pretty good quarterbacks. We’ve been fortunate to do it for some decades now. We’ve been fortunate to have some really good quarterback rooms, and I think the Manning family is pretty well aware of that.”
Only a handful of quarterbacks have started only one year in college and been drafted in the first round. Between 2000-2020, there were only five — Cam Newton, Mark Sanchez, Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins and Mitchell Trubisky.
“I don’t think Arch will be a one-and-done,” said noted Southern California-based quarterback coach Steve Clarkson. “I don’t know the family [but] he doesn’t need to go for the money. For the family it’s going to the whole experience. How does the draft set up? They’re going to try to maneuver where they can play.”
After originally declining to be a part of EA Sports College Football 25, Arch Manning had a change of heart.
The Texas quarterback originally opted not to have his name, image and likeness used for the video game, which will return after an 11-year hiatus next week.
But in a video he released on social media, he announced he is “in the game,” paying homage to EA Sports’ signature tagline.
After Steve Sarkisian finished his opening remarks at SEC media days – which included a shout-out to his former boss and mentor Nick Saban sitting in the back of the room and declaring that this year’s Longhorns team is “probably the most talented team we’ve had in my four years here, I can unequivocally say that” – the Texas coach took questions.
The first one was about Arch Manning.
There aren’t a lot of teams out there where backups get this much attention. But then again, there aren’t a lot of teams out there that have backups with famous last names.
Sarkisian was asked what the conversation was like with Manning and his family when reality sunk in that the former five-star quarterback would have to sit on the bench for a second straight year. When starter Quinn Ewers decided to put off the NFL Draft a little bit longer and return to Texas for a third season, that became Manning’s reality.
