‘You could come here and be a normal guy’ – Cooper Manning initially preferred a school other than Texas for Arch Manning
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning’s recruiting experience was unique. Despite being the most famous high school player in the nation, Arch’s recruitment was remarkably quiet. The Manning family did its best to let Arch experience life as a “normal” high school student. It was a tall task, but the mission was mostly accomplished — rumors […]
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning’s recruiting experience was unique.
Despite being the most famous high school player in the nation, Arch’s recruitment was remarkably quiet. The Manning family did its best to let Arch experience life as a “normal” high school student. It was a tall task, but the mission was mostly accomplished — rumors swirled about Arch’s recruitment and preferred schools, but it was truly a surprise when he committed to Texas in the summer of 2022.
Arch chose Texas because of coach Steve Sarkisian and the city of Austin, a place that isn’t quite as football-crazed as Tuscaloosa or Athens.
Avoiding a football-crazed city was a key factor in Arch’s decision.
Cooper Manning, Arch’s dad, wanted the talented quarterback to choose a school where he could live as normal a life as possible. ESPN pointed out this week that Cooper actually initially preferred Virginia for Arch.
From ESPN: Arch visited Clemson twice, Alabama four times, Georgia four times, Texas four times, Ole Miss a few times, LSU, and even Virginia. Of all places, Cooper liked Virginia for his son for one reason: It wasn’t a football crazy school. He could live under the radar. His older sister, May, was a student there. As Cooper and Arch walked through campus, the father saw an opportunity for something close to peacefulness. “You could come here, be a normal guy,” Cooper told him. “No one’s gonna mess with you.”
While Cooper liked the idea of Virginia, I’m guessing it wasn’t a legitimate option for Arch due to the Cavaliers’ head coaching situation. Former Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott was hired as Virginia’s coach ahead of the 2022 season. And Arch seemingly made it clear during his recruitment that he needed to see a second season from new head coaches before he felt comfortable committing there.
Texas feels like a natural fit for Arch. I don’t think there’s any doubt that he made the right decision. It would’ve been wild, though, to see Arch mania take over Charlottesville for a couple of years.
Texas Longhorns News
‘His dad was a nobody’ – Radio show host in rival SEC territory may have just made things personal with Texas QB Arch Manning
A radio show host in Oklahoma isn’t buying the hype surrounding Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. Manning, who is entering his third season at Texas, is viewed by many as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in 2025. The former five-star recruit has just two starts under his belt (against Louisiana Monroe and Mississippi […]
