Arch Manning to Texas
Georgia football: Arch Manning pursuit still a worthwhile one for UGA (247sports.com)
In Texas, Manning would play for head coach Steve Sarkisian, who, despite his disastrous USC tenure and rough start in Austin, has coached two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks in
Carson Palmer and
Matt Leinart while also sending several other QBs (
Mark Sanchez,
Matt Cassel, etc.) to the league. Sarkisian isn’t that far removed from landing another high-profile QB in Ohio State transfer
Quinn Ewers, who just so happens to have the same recruiting rating (1.000) that Manning boasts. There is an appeal to joining the Longhorns’ offense, and recruits see what Sarkisian did a few years ago as Alabama offensive coordinator as what could be accomplished in Austin.
Speaking of Alabama, let’s talk about the Crimson Tide.
Alabama has had something of an impressive string of quarterbacks themselves, a list that includes reigning Heisman winner Bryce Young, former first-round pick
Alabama has had something of an impressive string of quarterbacks themselves, a list that includes reigning Heisman winner Bryce Young, former first-round pick Mac Jones, former first-round pick
Tua Tagovailoa and former second-round pick
Jalen Hurts. Alabama’s status as a dynasty within the sport goes without saying, and the Crimson Tide’s recent ability to churn out QBs surely made for an enticing option.
Looking at these three options from afar, it’s fair to say most people would question Georgia’s inclusion. But it’s not that simple: it doesn’t factor in the relationships Manning formed with those within the program, or the people Manning would have worked with, or Georgia’s recent emergence as a perennial national title contender, or any number of other factors that truly mattered in the equation.
Georgia has certainly made strides toward changing the quarterback narrative and having an offense that “played it safe.” The defensive-first mentality many attribute Smart to having as a head coach didn’t stop the 2021 offense from averaging 38.6 points per game — its highest mark since 2014 — despite dynamic receiver
George Pickens not being available until late November. The Bulldogs made sure to lock down offensive coordinator
Todd Monken this offseason with a big raise that made one message clear: The Bulldogs want to continue lighting up the scoreboard.
