QB Arch Manning, No. 1 overall prospect, signs with Texas

The headliner of not only head coach Steve Sarkisian’s class, but the entire 2023 class is now officially a member of the Texas Longhorns as New Orleans (La.) Isidore Newman quarterback has signed his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday.

Manning putting pen to paper as a Longhorn has been a long time coming for the Sark and co. As part of an exhaustive recruiting effort spearheaded by Sark and quarterbacks coach AJ Milwee, the Texas staff put all of their chips on the table for just one quarterback in the 2023 class.

It was truly Arch or nothing.

And in late June, despite the 5-7 record lingering over the program and the likes of Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss, Clemson, and numerous others pushing for his pledge, Texas’ all-in push paid off with his commitment. In the half a year since, Manning remaining incredibly firm in his commitment to Texas and unsurprisingly emerged as a vocal leader for the class.

Meanwhile on the field, Manning broke his uncles records at Isidore Newman, and now stands alone as the school’s all-time leader in total touchdowns, touchdown passes, and passing yards. All told, the four-year starter finished his high school career with 8,599 yards and 115 passing touchdowns, and added another 1,155 yards and 25 scores with his legs.

Burnt Orange Nation’s Daniel Seahorn detailed what Texas is getting in Manning:

“Manning checks in with good measurables at 6’4, 215 pounds with a frame that is showing signs of filling out. Manning is a two sport player (football and basketball) and possesses solid athleticism that shows up on tape. Plays under duress a good bit and shows he can move in and outside the pocket and make throws moving either way. From a mechanical standpoint not much comes into question as you would expect from a quarterback with the last name Manning. Plays under control and even when he has to make plays on the move he shows the ability to reset his feet and get his shoulders square back to the LOS. Does a good job of getting the ball out and has a very good release. When he decides to cut it loose that ball is up and out and it is clean and crisp. Shows good arm strength to hit all levels of the field and won’t be a question moving to the collegiate level. Whether he is moving to his left or to his right he shows the ability to deliver accurate, catchable balls. Can make throws off platform when things break down and shows good overall ball placement. This kid is going be solid from the neck up in regards to the mental aspect of the game. Having three former NFL quarterbacks in the family is going to have a lot of benefits when it comes to the preparation aspect of the game and this kid will certainly has a wealth of knowledge to dip into. Main questions for me is how his skills will translate to the next level coming from the level of competition he is playing at currently. Playing at the same competition didn’t hurt his uncles Peyton and Eli, but it is something I wonder when watching the tape. Didn’t light up the stat sheet by any means the last two seasons as you are used to seeing elite quarterback recruits do. I’m probably nitpicking in that regard because ultimately developing at the next level is going to tell the story with this kid and he will be as prepared as any quarterback recruit we’ve seen to date when he arrives to campus.”

Considering his last name and top ranking, it would make sense for Manning to arrive in Austin and compete for QB1 honors from day one, but that’s probably moving a bit too fast. If things go according to plan, Manning should enjoy a redshirt year to develop behind presumed returning starter Quinn Ewers and former highly-touted recruit Maalik Murphy, and adjust to a significantly increased competition level after coming from a small private school setting at Isidore Newman.

All the tools are there for Manning, from both a physical and mental aspect, and he very much appears to be the future of the program from the quarterback position. But in this case, the future is about a year away for the top prospect in the class.