WATCH: Arch Manning already dropping dimes in the Texas Longhorns offseason
Texas’ quarterback Arch Manning might have a hard time holding onto his school ID, but he hasn’t lost his touch on the field.
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The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Five-Star Plus+ signal-caller was working with fellow freshman wide receiver DeAndre Moore inside the practice bubble on Saturday in Austin.
Manning maintained his Five-Star Plus+ rating, meaning all four major recruiting services label him as a five-star prospect. He ranks as the No. 1 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally-weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. However, the other major recruiting media companies are likely releasing their final rankings of the 2023 cycle in the coming days and weeks. Therefore, Manning’s position in the On3 Consensus is subject to change.
Excerpt from the Recruiting Notebook
Strengths: Good height and frame for the position. May not be done growing. Shows good functional athleticism in game settings. Will prove surprisingly elusive and faster than expected when the play breaks down. Has good film from both under center and in shotgun. Takeaway and drop are smooth with sure cross-steps. Ball carriage is mid-chest and eyes remain downfield. Reaches the top of his drop with a balanced athletic base and ready to push off to deliver the ball. Reads both sides of the field and influences the safeties routinely with head movement. Resets his feet frequently as needed. Delivers a consistent, mostly three-quarters delivery that is compact and quick. Finishes with a nice wrist snap and usually on balance with a good transfer of lower body power to upper body movement.
Ball rotation is usually pretty high RPM and the nose doesn’t dive. Drives the ball really well to the short zones and up the seams. Has arm strength to reach all zones. Accuracy is exceptional and ball placement is very good most of the time. Has a good feel for the required throw, showing great touch on the bucket throw and good drive on the driven throw. Throws every route in what appears to be a pretty diverse playbook. Feel for the pass rush is instinctive and he knows his escape routes well.
His best film is on the run with some very difficult throws both to his throwing hand side and also back against his body. Makes a great off-schedule throw with regularity and clearly understands the body mechanics required to get the ball down the field in those situations (e.g., re-squaring his shoulders). His TD passes jumped up markedly this season (34). Scored eight rushing TD as a sophomore. Last name sounds familiar, hmm.
Areas for Improvement / Concern: I’d like to see the ball out a little earlier, especially on comebacks/curls/hooks. The receiver doesn’t need to wait for it. I’m concerned about the level of talent he’s playing with and against. He’s clearly the best player on his team and an 8-0 regular season is no fluke, but there are a lot of plays where he’s running for his life (kinda like Archie). Interceptions are at a rate of 1 every 35 pass attempts for the career (Ewers is 1 every 80 and Klubnik 1 every 105). We don’t know the context of those interceptions.
