NCAAF News: Kirby Smart makes something clear on nepotism claims about Arch Manning ahead of Texas-Georgia matchup

Since his high school days, Arch Manning has been under the spotlight. The Texas Longhorns quarterback has been the talk of the nation since joining the University of Texas in Austin. As Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs thoroughly recruited him, the head coach in Athens knows a lot about the young signal-caller.

Coming out of Newman High School in New Orleans as a five-star recruit, Manning was virtually sought after by every program in college football. However, Arch made good on the promise he’d made as a kid to play for the Longhorns.

Now, as Smart’s Dawgs go head-to-head with Manning and the Horns on Saturday, November 15, the head coach in Athens has made one thing crystal clear about the school’s recruitment of Peyton and Eli Manning’s nephew, Archie Manning’s grandson, and Cooper Manning’s oldest son. Arch may be the heir to football’s royal quarterback family, but there was no special treatment for him because of the name on the back of his jersey.

“[His recruitment] really wasn’t about the celebrity nature of his last name. It was about the tape,” Smart admitted during his Monday press conference, via On Texas Football. “Obviously, I have a good relationship with his family, but it has nothing to do with his recruitment. It was based on [the fact that] he’s athletic, he’s tall, fast, intelligent, he’s got composure. He can do it all, he can run the ball, he can throw the ball. In this day and age you have got to have a quarterback that can do both, he can.“

Cool, calm, and collected

While Manning and the Longhorns have been through the wringer several times during the 2025 NCAA season, the young athlete has managed to keep his head above water. Such leadership was just what Texas needed to weather the storm. Although Smart and Georgia would be much better off had the Horns spiraled out of control, the head coach in Athens couldn’t hide his thoughts on the sophomore quarterback.

“[Arch Manning is] not affected by many things. Even the way he’s managed the hype and expectations for him. He didn’t call [for] any of that to come to him,” Smart commented. “This is what the outside sources did. It doesn’t seem to have an effect in him.“

Can only pick one

Though Manning had always dreamt of playing for the University of Texas in Austin, he did visit the UGA often to be around the Dawgs. Arch considered his options for a very long time before ultimately committing to Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns. Asked about his pitch to Manning, for him to join the school in Athens, Smart answered sincerely.

“I don’t really know about a pitch, it’s relationships. I got to know him, our staff got to know him,” Smart noted. “He came here a lot. He was really honest in having his thoughts about both programs, he liked both programs, he had to pick one. There was no sales pitch in terms of that.”

Part II

As for Manning, he will be playing at Sanford Stadium for the first time in his college football career. However, the Longhorns’ quarterback has already been to Athens for a game once, as he admitted during his weekly media availability.

“I went to a game [at Sanford Stadium] during my junior year in high school. They were playing South Carolina, it’s a big-time atmosphere. I’m excited,” Manning told reporters. The game he referred to ended in a 40-13 victory for the Dawgs over the Gamecocks in the 2021 NCAA season. Needless to say, Arch will hope for a much better outcome in what will be his second time at Sanford Stadium.