Arch Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli, commits to Texas

Arch Manning, the latest in the long line of Manning family quarterbacks, announced Thursday that he will play for the University of Texas after one of the most closely followed recruitments in recent history. The son of Cooper, nephew of Peyton and Eli, and grandson of Archie announced his decision on Twitter.

Ranked No. 1 overall in the class of 2023 by 247 Sports, Manning still has one year to play at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, where his father and uncles all played and where he’s been the varsity starter since he was a freshman.

He reportedly had his pick of college programs and chose the Longhorns over powerhouses such as Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and Clemson. Manning threw 26 touchdown passes and rushed for eight more as an Isidore Newman junior in 2021, leading the Greenies to a 7-3 record.

“He’s got the quickest release that I’ve ever seen, just how fast the ball gets out,” Isidore Newman Coach Nelson Stewart told ESPN last year. “His load to release is almost eerie. He snaps his wrist and the ball is out. 

He has tremendous footwork and takes pride in that. His drops are very fast. He has a really good pocket presence. Young quarterbacks sometimes get flushed out and feel the pressure and want to spin and run outside the pocket. He’s not that way. He hangs in there and is willing to take shots.”

For good measure, Manning also helped Isidore Newman to its first Louisiana state basketball title since 1993. Manning should provide a jolt to a Texas program that has been mired in relative mediocrity in recent years.

Since their last trip to the national title game during the 2009-10 season, the Longhorns have exceeded seven wins only five times, have had five losing records and have gone through four head coaches. The latest, Steve Sarkisian, could only muster a 5-7 record last season, his first in Austin

Manning will be a junior in 2025, when the Longhorns will play their first season as a member of the Southeastern Conference. He may have been drawn to Texas because of Sarkisian’s history developing quarterbacks such as Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones and Matt Leinart in a career that has included stints in both college football and the NFL.

If no one transfers — a big “if” these days — the Longhorns will have the No. 2 quarterback from the class of 2020 (Hudson Card), the top quarterback from the class of 2021 (Ohio State transfer Quinn Ewers), the No. 12 quarterback from the class of 2022 (Maalik Murphy) and Manning on their roster when Manning joins the team in 2023.

Manning likely can handle the pressure, seeing as how he attends the high school where the No. 18 worn by his father — whose promising football career was cut short by a spinal stenosis diagnosis — and his Super Bowl-winning uncles has been retired.

“I think there’s a natural pressure, but I think he’s just one of those kids who is a high achiever and has high standards,” Stewart told ESPN. “It’s just how he’s wired. I know he adores his grandfather and it’s an incredibly close family. He doesn’t get caught up in it.