Which college will sign the number one ranked quarterback Arch Manning?
With a pedigree like no other high school quarterback, the number one overall prep recruit Arch Manning is being hotly pursued by all the major players.
The story of this college recruiting cycle, the only story, is the recruitment of Arch Manning. The overall number one ranked recruit in the nation has so far visited SMU, Clemson, LSU, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Virginia, and Ole Miss.
As the latest product of the reigning royal quarterback family, Manning’s recruitment was always going to be watched and reported on. The son of Archie Manning’s eldest son Cooper, the 6 foot 4 inch, 215 pound seventeen-year-old plays quarterback for the prestigious Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, where he has put up impressive numbers, even earning MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year after his freshman season.
His coach, Nelson Stewart, has recently indicated that the coach that has made the biggest impression on the young man has been Brian Kelly at LSU. “No coach has come through and made as strong of an impression as Brian Kelly,” said Stewart in an interview with ESPN. “He has a humility and authenticity when you meet him. You feel like you’ve known him forever. … An LSU offer is the prestigious offer. When kids get that offer, it’s very, very special. LSU has the tradition, facilities and recruiting the camaraderie. It’s a very special place. It does sell itself. When LSU football is rolling, I don’t think there’s anything as exciting in state of Louisiana.”
“An LSU offer is the prestigious offer. When kids get that offer, it’s very, very special. LSU has the tradition, facilities and recruiting the camaraderie. It’s a very special place. When LSU football is rolling, I don’t think there’s anything as exciting in state of Louisiana”
It would be foolhardy to write young Manning off as a future Tiger, though. After grandfather Archie’s bitter experience with the Saints, he has famously made all of his sons promise him that they will never play football in Louisiana. And all three of his sons indeed signed with out-of-state schools. Whether that deal extends to the next generation or not remains to be seen.
Coach Stewart concurs. “I think he’s still very open, but he said he wants to go to practices and sit in meetings. He really is a meat and potatoes kid, he wants to go see the schools, he’s not about the fluff. I think he’s pretty locked in with what he wants to do, but he’s not one of those guys that’s going to announce a list or anything. He’s being really thorough. He’s going to get through this round and see where it is. He definitely doesn’t have a timeline.”
Prediction models are tipping Texas as the program most likely to nab the nation’s hottest prospect, with Georgia and Alabama following closely. But these predictions have a way of going off piste when a Manning is involved, his uncle Peyton shocking everyone when he chose to attend Tennessee.
A new wrinkle in these negotiations in the 21st century is name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. Manning is widely expected to set a new record with his valuation, currently just shy of $2 million and expected to be in the $3 million neighborhood when football season gets going. Any school that wants to sign him will likely have to cough up big.
Wherever he lands, his signing will set off seismic waves in the football world.