Arch Manning Reaffirms Why He Chose Texas as a Recruit
Arch Manning Reaffirms Why He Chose Texas as a Recruit originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
As the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 class, Arch Manning held offers from some of the biggest programs in college football.
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Powerhouses such as Ole Miss, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Notre Dame all made pushes for him, but when it came time to make a decision, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning chose the Texas Longhorns.
It was a bit of a shocking choice considering they already had a starter in place with Quinn Ewers, but Manning made it clear that he wanted to be in Austin. Aside from old videos surfacing showing that he had been a Longhorns fan growing up, Manning and his family were also enticed by the opportunity to play for Steve Sarkisian.
Even after it was revealed Ewers was returning for 2024, Manning didn't run to the portal like most players these days would.
Something that he touched on when speaking to On3 at the Manning Passing Academy on Thursday.
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'Just his track record with quarterbacks, he came off a really good year in 2020 with Mac Jones at Alabama,' Manning said. 'They lit it up. I like him as a person. I liked Austin, liked Texas, so it was just the right fit. He's hard on me sometimes, but I deserve it a lot of the time."
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning.Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Aside from Mac Jones, Sarkisian also helped develop Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Mark Sanchez, Jake Locker and Tua Tagovailoa.
While Manning was beloved as the backup that everyone wanted to see play last year, 2025 will be his time to shine. Sarkisian named him as the starter earlier this offseason, giving him the keys to a program that has made the College Football Playoff two years in a row, losing in the semifinal in both.
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Although there will be plenty of pressure on him due to his name and the fact he sat and waited, the buzz around Austin is that he will be worth the hype, and then some.
Related: 5-Star Texas QB Commit Reveals Inital Dream Was to Take Cooper Flagg Route at Duke
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
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