Next Manning Up: Arch Manning Is Getting Heavily Recruited Already

Arch Manning, the son of Cooper and nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning. He is visiting colleges already at the age of sixteen. He is almost bound to go to a SEC school, but the question is which one. Every school will make an effort to land the top ranked quarterback of the 2023 class. Clemson has shown interest, as has Notre Dame, USC, Texas and Oklahoma. Texas and Oklahoma may have an edge over the schools I just named because they soon will be joining the SEC.

Just about every SEC school has already offered Manning. He has yet to visit many of his potential destinations, but he has visited a few schools already. So, let’s look at a few schools where he could either continue the Manning collegiate legacy, or maybe some schools where he can start his own.

Ole Miss

Head coach of Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin, follows three accounts on his Instagram. The Ole Miss football account, his starting quarterback Matt Corral, and Arch Manning. This tactic made it clear he was calling his shot with Manning. His father, Cooper, and uncle, Eli, both went to Ole Miss. This sort of family tie makes Ole Miss a highly possible destination for Arch Manning. Ole Miss returned to a bowl game after a five year drought in 2020. This kind of resurgence may be a key factor for Arch Manning, and the 2021 Ole Miss team has looked good so far this season. Their quarterback, Matt Corral is jumping up Heisman boards, and could be a serious candidate at the end of the season. If Ole Miss can win statement games and show themselves as contenders in the SEC, they could land Manning without much convincing.

Georgia

Arch Manning has already taken a visit to Athens to watch the Georgia Bulldogs. After his visit, Steve Wiltfong of 247sports said that Manning loved the school and atmosphere. Getting Manning would be huge for their recruitment, and could add some extra spark to their offense. The last quarterback taken in the first round out of Georgia was Matthew Stafford, Manning could create his own legacy while attending one of the better schools in the SEC. Georgia is consistent year in and year out, and the addition of the top quarterback of the 2023 recruitment class would put them in contention as the favorites to win the National Championship if Manning is half as good as he is projected to be.

Clemson

Clemson is another potential school Manning could attend. He has already visited, meeting the offensive staff at a dinner. Manning could stray away from the SEC tradition if he did attend Clemson, but they are still a top program so I don’t think his family will retaliate if that were the route he went. “Clemson was awesome” he stated in an interview with 247sports. “They’re great, Coach Swinney and Streeter, they’re awesome. I went to dinner with the whole offensive staff and it was amazing.” “The culture over there is different and it was definitely a great place to visit. The people and the culture, I feel like everyone there is happy around the facility and it seems like a great environment and that’s something I’d want to be a part of”. Manning could be a Tiger when it is all said and done.

Alabama

If Arch Manning went to Alabama, college football fans around the world would tremble. The thought of a Manning wearing crimson and white playing for Nick Saban feels like the storyline where Alabama plays the villain. There is no doubt Bama produces some of the most pro ready players, so I have to add them to this list. Manning has described playing for Alabama as “a dream come true”. If that is the case, other SEC schools will need to pull out all of the stops. Saban’s Alabama team is always a contender, and they run a New England Patriot like system as they aren’t really flashy, they just show up and dominate. This was the mantra for both Peyton and Eli Manning despite controversy popping in at times. Alabama is a serious candidate for Manning. He could look to start his own legacy with one of the best coaches in college football history.

The Others

There are many other schools who have shown interest in Manning. It is still so early in his recruitment process, and there are sure to be more schools who come out of nowhere. Wherever he ends up, it will be the right decision. He has the best people around him to help him through the process, and has a good feel for what he wants. Arch Manning has been clear that he is not going to rush his decision. He wants to go somewhere that can win and that also has a good education system. It will be a wild ride tracking where he ends up.