SEC continues absurd QB recruiting with addition of Arch Manning

On3 imageby:Adam Luckett06/24/22

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We could still have at least two more full college seasons to get through before both Oklahoma and Texas make their transition to the SEC to create a 16-team super conference. However, we know the recruiting class of 2023 will play conference games in the SEC. The biggest gem of that haul just joined a huge brand.

No. 1 overall recruit Arch Manning ended the speculation officially on Thursday when the five-star prospect committed to the Longhorns to give a shot in the arm to head coach Steve Sarkisian whose rebuild in Austin got off to a tough start with a 5-7 campaign in 2021.

The news also adds more fuel to the fire for a league that is simply going to beat the crap out of each other whenever the two big boys are added. Not only is the SEC adding two programs with national championship pedigree, the league is adding two teams that historically recruit the quarterback position at a high level. Meanwhile, we’ve seen some other teams elevate their recruiting is recent seasons with some help from NIL and the transfer portal.

Since the class of 2020, there have been 14 top-100 quarterbacks who have signed or committed to playing in the SEC. Over half of the league has received at least one of those signatures or verbal commitments. Some programs have received multiples. Using the On3 Consensus rankings, this is how it all checks out.

To no one’s surprise, Alabama is at the top. Texas now has two of the last three No. 1 overall recruits as Manning will join Ohio State transfer Quinn Ewers in Austin. Meanwhile, South Carolina dipped into the transfer portal to land class of 2019 five-star Spencer Rattler this offseason to give the Gamecocks a pair of top-100 quarterbacks. The other seven teams in the league are on the outside looking in.

Arkansas is hopeful that a big year from KJ Jefferson can help open some recruiting doors. Auburn has had nothing but instability and that is certainly not helping the recruiting operation on the Plains. Florida is kind of in the same boat as Auburn, and Billy Napier’s new staff is struggling to close on big targets. Mississippi State is betting on Mike Leach’s system. Missouri has improved but still has a ways to go. Vanderbilt just started a long rebuild with Clark Lea.

That leaves Kentucky. The Wildcats have not signed a top-300 quarterback recruit since Drew Barker in the class of 2014, and that was nearly a decade ago. The program has historically missed on their top targets during the Mark Stoops era. Mac Jones and Jarren Williams were the two famous ones, but even Liam Coen didn’t start off hot with high school prospects during his first year as Christopher Vizzina did not camp at Kentucky and Chris Parson quickly committed to Florida State after a camp visit to Lexington.

The next step for the Kentucky football program is to win a division title and become a perennial top-15 program. To do that, the Wildcats must start to get consistent good play from the quarterback position. The best way to assure that is to recruit good players out of high school. However, everyone wants these players, and the competition to get them in the SEC is very stiff.

New offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello has been on the job in Lexington only four months and is attempting to play catch up on the recruiting trail. With no one committed at quarterback in the class of 2023, the Wildcats have moved onto 2024 and have appeared to zero in on Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral prospect Danny O’Neil. However, the rising junior currently ranks outside of the top 300.

Similar to most other positions, Kentucky has to evaluate and target prospects at quarterback very well. More times than not, the Wildcats must be ahead of the curve. It helps when a local prospect turns out to be a legitimate blue-chipper, and that might be the case with Lexington (Ky.) Christian Academy quarterback Cutter Boley in the class of 2025. The 6-foot-5 rising sophomore has been on campus three times in the last year.

Before that arrives, Kentucky needs answers at the sport’s most important position.

Will Levis is receiving nonstop NFL Draft buzz, and a big season should give the program much to sell on the recruiting trail. That should payoff as Kentucky will have to go fishing in the transfer portal after the season to find another quarterback to come in and compete for the starting job in 2023. If that goes well, Kentucky could decide to lean on being Transfer U at the quarterback position. However, that could be a dangerous game to play long-term.

As the SEC moves into the future, things are going to get more competitive. The best players want to play in this league and that will remain true at quarterback. Kentucky must start to find resourceful ways to recruit that position well. The efficiency in finding good QBs could be the difference from being a .500 program in league play to one that can consistently play in big games with stakes in November.

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2024-03-27