Arch Manning commits to Texas

Peyton’s nephew has picked his college destination.

The latest quarterback to come from the Manning family has selected his college destination. A tight recruiting battle played out all across the southeast, but in the end, it was a future member of the SEC that won out.

Arch Manning has committed to the Texas Longhorns.

The five-star quarterback is the latest product of the Manning dynasty, following his uncles Peyton (Tennessee) and Eli (Ole Miss), his father Cooper (Ole Miss) and his grandfather Archie (Ole Miss).

Tennessee was never a major player here. The Volunteers went through a coaching change in 2021, right when Manning’s recruitment was really taking off. Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Clemson, Ole Miss and Texas set themselves apart in the race, and the field was gradually narrowed over the last 12 months.

Manning took final looks at Georgia, Alabama and Texas over the past three weeks, ultimately deciding to commit to Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns today.

Of course, this decision gets that much more interesting when you consider the fact that Texas will be joining the SEC following the 2024 season. Oklahoma is coming with them, brining the SEC to a 16-team superpower conference. So, barring any changes, Manning and Texas will take on the SEC during his third season in the program.

Manning is the consensus No. 1 overall player in the class of 2023.

Tennessee, on the other hand, reeled in the No. 3 overall player — quarterback Nico Iamaleava. The No. 2 overall player, quarterback Malachi Nelson, followed Lincoln Riley out to USC. That trio headlines the 2023 recruiting cycle, and now their future homes are all set.

Texas finished 5-7 in Sarkisian’s first season in Austin. They were able to add another former No. 1 overall recruit this offseason, bringing in quarterback Quinn Ewers from Ohio State. Ewers is expected to take over the job this season, and then things will get mighty interesting once Manning arrives in the spring of next year.