Dirty details of Arch Manning recruitment reveal how SEC rivals failed and attempted to ruthlessly bash Steve Sarkisian in the process
Nobody is safe in the recruiting world
When new Texas starting quarterback Arch Manning was coming out in the 2023 recruiting class, many fans and evaluators viewed him as one of the better signal callers to come out of the high school ranks in several years. With such a high level of talent, as well as the magnitude of the Manning last name, expectations have reached a borderline unrealistic level heading into the 2025 College Football season, his first as a starter for the Longhorns.
Even if the hype is a bit over the top, there is optimism that the 6-4, 220-pound passer will rise to elite status this fall. Although the sample size is very small, with less than 100 career pass attempts and two starts under his belt, working with head coach Steve Sarkisian brings confidence that Manning will realize his overall potential. He is one of the best head coaches, and offensive play callers on the entire college level. His scheme paired with Manning’s dual threat talent is exciting.
Back in that 2023 recruiting class, there was a lot of conversation surrounding the former New Orleans (La.) Isidore Newman star, but Manning didn’t steer into the media frenzy and recruiting hype. Their family kept everything on a very personal level, which ESPN senior Writer Seth Wickersham highlighted in a recent edition of Pablo Torre Finds Out.
Unfortunately for those involved in the recruiting process heavily, some took the word “personal” to a whole other meaning of the word, the negative side. The recruiting world is unforgiving at times, and negative recruiting is very much a real thing. Coaches pushed the boundaries to try and land Manning a couple of years ago, despite the family’s want to keep everything lowkey.
“Cooper met with the head coach of (Isidore) Newman at the time, this guy Nelson Stewart, he was a guard for Peyton Manning’s team,” Wickersham explained. “Cooper says, “I want this to be a 1975 recruitment. I want you to be the bodyguard, the lead blocker, the filter, the organizer, everything, and we’re not taking any offers. I mean, we will make a choice.”
With the Manning family keeping everything so close to the vest, programs were left scrambling to try and make him feel like their school was best for Arch. There were several heavy hitters involved here. That included the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Ole Miss Rebels (his father’s alma mater), and the Texas Longhorns.
Each program competed hard for Manning, and pushed those boundaries of what is right and wrong. The process began by laying out what each program brings to the table, and can provide for the younger Manning.
“They tried,” said Wickersham. “The coaches tried. I mean, Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss HC), Steve Sarkisian (Texas HC)… Nick Saban (former legendary Alabama HC) even. It got so competitive and so ruthlessly intense between them as they were trying to get Arch. There was a moment when Nick Saban came, and all of the assistant coaches call him Daddy, maybe we don’t need to go there this episode. Nick Saban wanted Arch, and maybe if he had gotten him, he would still be coaching, but he didn’t want to appear to want Arch. He wanted his presence to be enough.
“Meanwhile, Pete Golding is the one tasked with landing Arch,” he continued. “It is getting down to the wire where Arch has got to make a decision. They are doing a zoom and nobody, not even the family members knew where Arch wanted to go or what his preferences were. Some of the family thought that Georgia was a good fit because he would be coached hard. Other people thought that Alabama would be good because he would be coached by Daddy. Who better to prepare you for the NFL? Texas kept lingering.”
For those who aren’t familiar with Golding and Sarkisian, they have a personal relationship that extends beyond football. Both coaches spent time as assistants under Coach Saban with the Crimson Tide. Despite that close relationship, even Golding threw that friendship aside for Manning. There was no line he wouldn’t cross, particularly because of Saban.
“Everyone wonders what a modern recruitment is like for a guy like him,” Wickersham said. “It got so tight that Pete Golding was on a call with Arch, Cooper, and Nelson Stewart. People know that Steve Sarkisian, the coach of the University of Texas has battled alcoholism. It is public record. It almost cost him his career, but he fought through it, and he has built a terrific career. Stuff like that ends up being fair game.
“Pete, who is friends with Sark, says on this call, ‘I love Sark, he’s my best friend… I hope he can stay sober,’” He added. “After the call, Nelson Stewart called him and was like, ‘Pete, that was fu**** up.’ Golding knew it was fu**** up, but he had no choice because he said Daddy is on me. I think Arch was able to go through life with a seblance of a normal high school experience, and not lose his love of the game because the Mannings were able to put this cacoon around him.”
Stewart summed it up perfectly, and even Golding agreed. Football might be “everything” to some, but it still isn’t at the end of the day. This is an example of the worst side of the recruiting world. Even with Coach Sarkisian living a redemptive arc, he isn’t free of that negativity. Nobody is safe.
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