Arch Manning Rumors: Alabama Is ‘Frontrunner’ for Star QB; Clemson, Texas, Linked

Alabama may be the leaders in the clubhouse to highly touted quarterback Arch Manning.

Dan Patrick reported Wednesday on his radio show the Crimson Tide are the “frontrunners” for the Louisiana native. Patrick said Clemson and Texas are in the hunt as well.

Intrigue always follows the top signal-callers in a given recruiting cycle. Manning is the No. 1 overall player in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the 2023 class. 

His family lineage provides another layer to make him one of the most hyped football recruits in recent memory. He started as a freshman at Isidore Newman School, and he was on national television by his sophomore year.

Manning’s on-campus visits are being treated like stops on a band’s tour schedule.

Most recently, the 16-year-old was in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to watch the Crimson Tide roll to a 42-21 victory over No. 12 Ole Miss.

Isidore Newman head coach Nelson Stewart told 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong that Manning sat in on a meeting with Alabama head coach Nick Saban and defensive coordinator Pete Golding.

Stewart went on to say that Golding established a strong rapport with Manning and was “one of the first coaches on him.”

The allure of Alabama is obvious for a recruit in Manning’s position since the program is the most successful in modern college football.

Thanks to the Crimson Tide’s offensive evolution, they can also easily sell a blue-chip quarterback on their offense being the best showcase for NFL scouts. Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa were first-round draft picks in successive years.

Clemson seemed to be in a similar position after having won two national titles under Dabo Swinney. Swinney can also point to Trevor Lawrence and Deshaun Watson as examples of what a talented quarterback can achieve with the Tigers.

However, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman and Grace Raynor reported the team’s 3-2 record may be emblematic of issues that go deeper than simply having a down year. In particular, Swinney and his staff may be falling behind the competition in terms of offensive creativity.

Problems like that may not go unnoticed by Manning.

Because of his talent and star level, Manning has the opportunity to almost single-handedly reshape the landscape for a few years. Texas, for example, may see its fortunes improve drastically by securing his commitment.

Beyond the success the Longhorns would potentially have with Manning at quarterback, he could be a tone-setter in recruiting to bring other top-ranked players to Austin.