Top-ranked 2023 QB Arch Manning impressed by Texas trip
Austin was the destination for ballyhooed 2023 quarterback Arch Manning last weekend, and the trip to the Lone Star State did not disappoint.
Manning, the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2023 On100 rankings, made his third of five fall visits for the Longhorns’ meeting with Oklahoma State. It was preceded by visits to Georgia and Alabama. And he still has trips scheduled to Ole Miss and Clemson over the next few weeks.
Texas, though, has made a major impression. His relationship with head coach Steve Sarkisian is arguably the strongest of any he’s built. The Longhorns’ first-year head coach also visited Louisiana to watch Manning play last Thursday.
“I think they have done an outstanding job establishing a relationship with him from the start,” Manning’s high school coach Nelson Stewart told 247Sports. “Coach Sark’s direct involvement in his recruitment comes across as very authentic and special. It’s obvious Arch and him have a great connection.”
Stewart added that when he talked to Manning about the visit, he “lit up and just said he had a great time.”
Arch Manning has a strong bond with Steve Sarkisian
Manning, the latest family quarterback prodigy in a long line of them, raved about his visit to Austin over the summer. But ultimately, Sarkisian might be the program’s biggest selling point. The two first met when Sarkisian was the offensive coordinator at Alabama, and their relationship has continued to grow since then.
“(Sark) is a laid back guy, which I really like,” Manning told InsideTexas. “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.”
Texas has also made recruiting Arch Manning’s high school tight end, Will Randle, a major priority. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder is also a Class of 2023 prospect and holds eight offers, including the Longhorns, LSU, SMU, and Virginia. His decision isn’t going to sway Manning one way or another, but having the quarterback’s favorite target in the fold surely wouldn’t hurt anything.