12:20 ET
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Pete ThamelESPN
The recruitment of top-tier quarterback Arch Manning captivated college football for years, a rare collision of talent, pedigree and possibilities.
Manning ended the intrigue Thursday afternoon, pledging to Texas for suitors that included Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Clemson and Virginia.
Although Manning has long been considered the best player in the 2023 class, the family maintained their intention to try to keep their recruitment as unobtrusive as possible. His Instagram is private and he has not been an active participant in opportunities for name, image and likeness. But this has still been difficult, given the family’s pedigree and the magnitude of how their decision might influence a program’s fortune.
Manning even used his first tweet to make the announcement, in a verified Twitter account with a biography that simply says “high school student.”
Committed to the University of Texas. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/jHYbjBaF5K
– Arch Manning (@ArchManning) June 23, 2022
Manning is a nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning, grandson of Archie Manning and son of former Ole receiver Miss Cooper Manning. He is the star quarterback at Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans, throwing 5,731 yards and 72 touchdowns in his first three years of high school football, and has been considered a top-tier prospect since high school.
Any piece of news around the quarterback has spread significantly throughout the recruiting universe. The engagement of Manning’s high school teammate and close friend, the tight end of three stars, Will Randle, sparked interest as it represented a potential indicator for where Manning might be leaning.
His commitment to Texas represents both Arch Manning cutting his own path and perhaps reuniting with the family’s SEC roots. The Manning family has strong ties to Miss Ole and Tennessee, and Arch Manning could end up being a link to the SEC, as he could be Texas ’starting quarterback in 2025, when the Longhorns are scheduled to debut at the conference.
The commitment represents Texas ’first No. 1 general recruit in the ESPN 300 era (since 2006) and his first quarterback ranked in the top 20 since Garrett Gilbert in 2009. He also offers Texas a key element for his 2023 recruiting class, with skill players expected to be attracted to playing with a talent like Manning.
The decision is a big win for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, especially after a 5-7 debut season that included a home defeat to Kansas. Manning’s decision reaffirms Sarkisian as one of the best quarterback tutors in the country and Texas as a quarterback destination. Sarkisian is the Longhorns player and has coached quarterbacks like Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones and Matt Leinart.
Sarkisian has also had two stints as an NFL coach, with the Raiders and Falcons. Arch Manning’s preparation for the NFL has been a major motivator, as the Manning have navigated the recruiting process.
The Manning family also built a strong relationship with Texas quarterback coach AJ Milwee, who played an important role in the comfort level of sending him to Austin.
Manning’s decision gives Texas one of the most robust and competitive quarterback rooms in the country. The Longhorns have transfer from Ohio State Quinn Ewers, who was widely considered the best quarterback in the 202 class. They also have talented quarterbacks to Maalik Murphy, an ESPN 300 recruit in the 2022 class, and Hudson Card , which was no. 2 quarterback recruits in the 2020 promotion.
How good is Manning? A coach who recruited him told ESPN that he would probably still be the No. 1 player in his class if his last name was not Manning.
“It’s that he has a big arm,” the coach said. “He’s a lot more mobile than everyone thinks. He’s not like a Manning who can’t move. He can get out of trouble. He’s not a statue in his pocket. He played basketball and can sink.
“He’s a prototypical kid who sees the field well. He won’t make bad decisions or make bad plays worse and he will really lead the attack.”
Manning has developed a reputation as a gym rat who loves football. The biggest blow is the level of competition in high school, as there will be a strong adjustment in the university. But the coaches who recruited Manning were baffled by his work ethic as he has accepted the details.
“What has impressed me is that he lives with the pressure,” the coach said. “He has to live with that pressure and deal with it all. That can be a good transition for him. He’s been doing it all his career in high school. No stage will be too big.”
And for Texas, the commitment offers the Longhorns a prominent player to build on for their trip to the SEC. Texas went 40-21 in Arkansas last year, a barometer of how far the program should go to compete with half of the group at the conference.