Arch Manning watching coaching carousel, commitment timeline emerges
The recruitment of New Orleans (La.) Isidore Newman quarterback Arch Manning is one of college football’s biggest storylines and will continue to be for the next year.
Manning, the No. 1 overall player in the 2023 On300 rankings, has mostly narrowed his focus to five schools: Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Clemson. He’s visited the former three and will be at Ole Miss this weekend and Clemson in November. As the prized prospect in the 2023 cycle, he’s in no rush to make a commitment, but according to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, it could come as early as this coming spring or summer.
On the ESPNU broadcast of Manning’s game vs. Berkeley Prep Friday night, Schlabach gave some insight into a potential timeline.
“From what people have told me around Isidore Newman, I think he’ll wait for the coaching carousel to settle down after this season,” Schlabach said. “And then go out and make his official visits and come up with a decision late next spring or summer. But certainly Texas, Georgia and Alabama seem to think they’re in a pretty good position.”
Could LSU get into the mix for Arch Manning?
One school that conspicuously hasn’t been part of Arch’s recruiting conversation is in-state LSU. The Tigers have been in the midst of major turmoil under head coach Ed Orgeron. And this season, they were running an offense led by first-year coordinator Jake Peetz. But Orgeron was informed last week that he wouldn’t be returning as head coach in 2022, and a national search for his successor is already underway.
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has been rumored as a potential candidate. And depending on who the Tigers hire, it could at least pique Manning’s interest.
Texas is in the lead for his commitment
As of now, though, Texas looks to be ahead of the pack for Arch Manning. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart visited him Friday night, and he came away impressed by the Bulldogs and the atmosphere in Athens on his visit in September.
Since then, the Bulldogs have ascended to the No. 1 ranking in dominant fashion. They’ve also continued to steamroll on the recruiting trail in 2022, which is by no means a bad thing when pursuing an elite prospect like Manning.
But Texas looks to be the leader for Arch Manning’s commitment a little more than a year from the early signing period. He visited the Longhorns last weekend, and Texas 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.
“(Sark) is a laid back guy, which I really like,” Manning said recently. “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.”
According to On3’s expert predictions, Texas has the upper hand for Arch Manning’s commitment, though it’s far from insurmountable.
“I like Texas at this stage,” Chad Simmons wrote. “Although he had very good visits to Alabama and Georgia this fall, and Clemson and Ole Miss are in this, Steve Sarkisian has really connected with Manning. The buzz really seems to be with the Longhorns. It is because of Sarkisian, his offense, and how he has recruited the No. 1 junior in the country.”