Recruiting Arch Manning: Where do Georgia, Texas, Alabama rank in race to land five-star QB

Bill Bender

Recruiting Arch Manning: Where do Georgia, Texas, Alabama rank in race to land five-star QB image

Chances are you've heard of Arch Manning. 

Manning is the No. 1 recruit in the nation for the class of 2023. The five-star quarterback from Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans has a spotless recruiting profile. Manning also is the next generation QB from a royal football family lineage. 

Now, what are the chances your school will land Manning? That has been a little tougher to pin down. Traditional powers Alabama, Georgia and Texas have been considered the favorites throughout the process, but Florida, LSU and Ole Miss have also been a part of the conversation. 

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Sporting News looks at Manning's recruiting profile and ranks those six schools based on which one would is in best position to get Manning for 2023:

Arch Manning's recruiting profile 

Manning is the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2023, according to 247Sports.com. Manning (6-4, 215) is entering his senior season at Isidore Newman High School. He has passed for 6,307 yards, 81 TDs and 17 interceptions. 

He has a perfect ranking at 247Sports.com. Only six quarterbacks have been ranked at 0.999 or higher on the site. Here is a look at those quarterbacks: 

NO QB YR SCHOOL RATING
1. Arch Manning 2023 ? 1.0000
2(t) Trevor Lawrence 2018 Clemson 0.9999
2(t) Quinn Ewers 2021 Ohio State 0.9999
4. Justin Fields  2018 Georgia 0.9998
5. Malachi Nelson 2023 USC 0.9995
6. Bryce Young 2020 Alabama 0.9994

It's a select group. Lawrence and Fields were top 11 picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, and Young won the Heisman Trophy last season at Alabama. Ewers transferred to Texas this season, and Nelson is in the same class as Manning. 

Arch Manning's family 

Manning will be one of the most-popular players in college football in 2023. He is the son of Cooper Manning. Arch's grandfather Archie was a star quarterback at Ole Miss who finished third in the Heisman voting in 1970. 

Peyton Manning passed for 11,201 yards, 89 TDs and 33 interceptions at Tennessee from 1994-97. He finished second in the Heisman voting. Eli Manning passed for 11,019 yards, 81 TDs and 35 interceptions at Ole Miss from 2000-03. He finished third in the Heisman voting in 2003. 

Peyton and Eli were both No. 1 picks in the NFL Draft, and they combined for four Super Bowl victories. Archie was the No. 2 pick in the 1971 NFL Draft. 

Despite that impressive lineage, Arch Manning does not feel pressure to live up to his name. 

"I really don't look at it like that at all," Arch Manning said via Dawg Nation. "I'm just kind of out here playing football with my friends. Just a bunch of good guys. It has been fun. I really don't feel any pressure playing football. It is really just all kinds of fun for me."

Arch Manning's six best recruiting fits 

Manning has not put a timeline on his decision. 247Sports.com lists Alabama, Georgia and Texas as the favorites to land the quarterback for the 2023 season. Sporting News examines the best fits: 

1. Georgia

Manning made headlines when he heaped praise on Kirby Smart and said "Athens is probably the best college town I've ever been to," according to On3.com. Georgia and Texas are the favorites right now, and the Bulldogs have a few advantages. Georgia is coming off a national championship, offensive coordinator Todd Monken has built a good relationship with Manning and the roster is loaded with four- and five-star talent built through Smart's elite recruiting. Carson Beck and five-star Brock Vandagriff will be the other quarterbacks on the roster in 2023, but that's a job Manning could win. 

2. Texas

Manning has visited Texas five times and plans to visit at least one more time before Steve Sarkisian's second season with the Longhorns. Texas plays Alabama on Sept. 10 in Austin, too. Hudson Card and Ewers were battling for the starting job in the spring, and that's a position Ewers needs to win before we can talk about the potential for a battle with Manning in 2023. Would playing for Texas be more pressure than carrying the Manning legacy? That's debatable, but if Manning brings Texas back once and for all, the hype leading to his NFL career would be off the charts, even by Manning family standards. 

3. Alabama

The Crimson Tide remains the most-logical fit from a quarterback transition. Manning would be the favorite to start in 2023 on a national championship contender. Alabama's last three starting quarterbacks – Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones – all were first-round picks in the NFL. Manning could develop with offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien and keep the Nick Saban dynasty rolling into what could be its final chapter. So, what's the holdup? Four-star quarterback Eli Holstein also is in Alabama's recruiting plan for 2023. ​​"Bama obviously loves Eli Holstein," 247Sports recruiting analyst Greg Biggins said on a podcast May 5. "They're not going to basically wait around for Arch. Still, if Arch chooses Alabama, that would alter that plan." 

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4. Florida

Manning hasn't visited Florida yet, but On3.com's Chad Simmons reports a visit with the Gators is a possibility. New coach Billy Napier was familiar with Manning during his time with Louisiana, and he has a winning track record. Anthony Richardson is the presumed starter at Florida, but he could be gone after this season. It's a long-shot, but it's worth monitoring if Manning does take that official visit. 

5. LSU 

We already know Brian Kelly will pull out all the stops for a recruit, and Manning intends to come to an LSU game this season. The close-to-home factor is at work, and Joe Burrow proved that an elite quarterback can turn LSU into a national championship contender overnight. Jayden Daniels and Myles Brennan are fighting for the starting job this season. Manning would probably be in the mix for the starting job now, but Kelly has work to do. 

6. Ole Miss

Lane Kiffin doesn't need to work the family angle too hard given the legacy Archie and Eli left at Ole Miss. Kiffin can sell an offense that averaged 492.5 yards per game in 2021 and should continue to roll with Jaxson Dart in 2022. Dart came to Ole Miss via the transfer portal and would have at least one more year with the Rebels. That's not a deal-breaker knowing that Manning could win that competition as a freshman. The Rebels are likely on the fringe, but those family ties will keep them in the conversation until the decision is made. Ole Miss does have a commitment from three-star quarterback Marcel Reed for the class of 2023.

Bill Bender

Bill Bender Photo

Bill Bender graduated from Ohio University in 2002 and started at The Sporting News as a fantasy football writer in 2007. He has covered the College Football Playoff, NBA Finals and World Series for SN. Bender enjoys story-telling, awesomely-bad 80s movies and coaching youth sports.