Coming into the collegiate level as a five-star recruit, and with the most decorated surname in football history, quarterback Arch Manning turned heads everywhere he went. Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs heavily recruited Arch, however, the 19-year-old chose to enroll for the Texas Longhorns. History could’ve been very different had Manning joined the school in Athens.
On December 7, Manning and Smart’s paths will meet again. The Dawgs and Longhorns will clash for the SEC Championship, and only one school will be left standing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Although Manning is the backup quarterback behind Quinn Ewers, Texas has found great sporadic use for the talented teenager.
Georgia knows better than to underestimate Manning’s impact on any given play. Ahead of Saturday’s matchup, Kirby Smart voiced his thoughts on the QB2 in Austin, reminding the Bulldogs they are going up against a two-headed monster in Texas’ offense.
“As far as Arch goes, he’s what everybody thought he was,” Smart stated on Manning, via DawgNation. “He’s athletic, smart, thick, a great thrower. He can run their entire offense while at the same time creating designed runs or off-schedule runs.
“Both [QBs] are scary because designed runs with [Manning] are tough to defend because you’re having to defend the whole field, and then he’s also an elite thrower and passer.“
Smart credits Sarkisian’s development of Manning
Coming out of high school, Arch Manning was regarded by every program in college football as a generational talent. No other QB prospect in the 2024 recruiting class appeared as promising as the heir to the Manning’s quarterback dynasty.
Landing Arch and having him on campus for at least three years was every NCAA coach’s dream. It was Steve Sarkisian who had his prayers answered, as the Longhorns secured the five-star recruit. However, Texas already had a star in Quinn Ewers, setting up a delicate situation in the QB room that required careful management.
Smart commended Sarkisian for handling it gracefully, giving much credit to the coaching staff at The Forty Acres for how they developed Manning, while not affecting Ewers’ performance.
“He’s a great player, and they brought him along the way. He’s gained confidence each and every week in the way he plays. He got to start some games. You couldn’t write a better story for him in terms of development to be ready to go and be the starter.”
Georgia’s infamous collapse against a backup QB
On Saturday, Manning may play a pivotal role as the Longhorns take on the Bulldogs. History tends to repeat itself. In January 2018, Kirby Smart’s Dawgs lost the National Championship at the same stadium to Alabama’s backup quarterback, who went on to become an NFL first round selection, Tua Tagovailoa.
Texas hopes they don’t find themselves in the situation Bama did when they sent Tua into the game, but Sarkisian and the Longhorns won’t be too upset if it leads to a SEC Title.