Takeaways from Arch Manning's final prep football game

NEW ORLEANS — On3 was on hand for Arch Manning‘s final high school football game on Friday night. The Five-Star Plus+ Texas quarterback commit completed 8-of-21 for 96 yards with another 19 carries for 42 yards rushing and a touchdown — in a 49-13 loss in the Division III state quarterfinal Uptown.

This On3 analyst has been on the sidelines for more in-person evaluations of Manning than any other national analyst in the country, which included a recent write-up after the regular season concluded and Manning still hadn’t thrown an interception.

Let’s dive into how the nation’s No. 1 player fared in his last action before heading to Texas in January and reflect on his record-setting four years at the helm of Newman’s offense.

Talented University clamps shorthanded Newman

Newman has advanced to the quarterfinals each of the past four seasons with back-to-back semifinals appearances the past two years. Both losses came at the expense of Lafayette (La.) Christian, which is playing up a classification with the new LHSAA playoff brackets installed. It’s a different story for University, the Greenies’ opponent last Friday, which captured the Division II title last season and is now competing as a very talented No. 8 seed in Division III and perhaps the favorite for the crown.

This University defense is powered by multiple Power 5 prospects at all three levels headlined by impact On300 Notre Dame linebacker commit Jaiden Ausberry and elite 2025 legacy ATH Keylan Moses, who shared duties spying on Manning, who has been sensational as a runner this season. As a unit, they swarmed Manning and even when he could escape pressure, the pursuit of second-level defenders and sound coverage on the back end made for a long evening.

Manning’s first five pass attempts were incomplete and the Newman offense was held in check for much of the first half. The Cubs’ defensive front seven racked up three sacks in the half and Newman’s longest plays were runs of 10 and 22 yards — both runs by Manning. His first completion came with 5:55 remaining in the second quarter as he managed to get outside the pocket, a theme for much of the year, and deliver before taking another hit.

Plagued by drops much of the night as the Newman offense was shorthanded by several injuries to not only leading pass-catcher Will Randle as well as 2024 WR Peter Loop, but also left tackle Brett Bordelon, who battled through a bum ankle that sidelined him a week ago. Nonetheless, 19 carries and timely plays by Manning kept the offense afloat and continued to give Newman chances.

Manning caps senior year with 34:2 mark

The Newman offense took a massive hit with the loss of Randle in the shootout at home with Benton (La.) in September. It’s been a massive adjustment ever since without the other Texas-bound playmaker for two-plus months.

Manning, though, has been resilient. Even without a major weapon in the middle of the field, the Five-Star Plus+ QB capped the regular season with 32 touchdowns without an interception, and as a senior completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,325 yards and a 34:2 touchdown to interception ratio. Both of his picks came in the second half last Friday on late-down heaves with Manning simply giving his pass-catchers an opportunity to make an athletic play on the ball. Both of University Lab’s defensive backs capitalized on those 50-50 balls.

Since beating out a senior in a fierce quarterback battle four years ago, Manning piled up 8,599 passing yards with an astounding 115:20 touchdown to interception ratio. He put himself on the map as a sophomore in a prolific downfield-attacking offense, going through his reads and displaying his athleticism outside the pocket in spurts. However, there’s certainly an argument to be made that this past season has been even more telling. Newman went toe-to-toe with one of Louisiana’s highest-flying offenses in Benton at full strength and played tough shorthanded on the road at Many, in a district title game against St. Charles and returned to the quarterfinals for the fourth time in as many years.

This past year more than ever, Manning displayed arguably the quickest release in the country and was a smart, sound decision-maker, which includes when turning to his legs to move the sticks and the ability to evade pressure and also hang in the pocket. Even as injuries piled up around him, Manning’s play stayed steady. More so, the leadership was kicked up a notch. The multiplicity to slice defenses with his arm or legs, his ability to make off-schedule plays seamlessly, along with a high football IQ and athletic pedigree begs the comparison to former first-round pick Joe Burrow.

Reflecting on Manning’s run

Earlier this fall, Manning etched his name in the Newman’s record books in a unique fashion, passing both of his uncles for longstanding records at the Uptown New Orleans program. Manning finished as the school leader in passing yardage (8,599 yards), passing TD (115), total yardage (9,754), and touchdown touchdowns (140) to go along with a 34-9 record.

In Newman’s 120-year history, the football program has advanced to the state semifinals four times, twice under Manning’s watch in 2020 and 2021. Football is a team-driven sport and in every live evaluation of Manning, he’s put his team in positions to win routinely. As his head coach Nelson Stewart puts it time and time again, “One guy can’t do it.”

No. 16 has given it a valiant effort, though, and from the sidelines, over the past four years, there are few high school football players that have checked all the boxes in terms of on-field production and leadership away from it. At the Louisiana 2A high school football level, Manning has dominated the competition in a similar fashion to other blue-chippers and former first-round picks Derek Stingley Jr. (LSU, Houston Texans) and DeVonta Smith (Alabama, Philadelphia Eagles) and fellow Newman alumni Odell Beckham Jr.

Manning’s resume also includes lifting the basketball team to a state title as a bench defender, which marked the Newman’s first hoops championship in three decades. He gave track a shot as an underclassman and placed first in the high jump in his first meet.

Better than the stats, which are astounding, and the records, which include moving past both of his Super Bowl-winning uncles Eli and Peyton, one of whom spends summers in the film room alongside his nephew, is how he’s matriculated through one of the most hyper-infused recruitments in college football history. Manning’s numbers and accomplishments speak for themselves because he certainly won’t bring them up.