Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava and Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning will always be linked together thanks to their status as the top players in the 2023 recruiting class.
Manning was rated by 247Sports as the No. 1 player in the 2023 recruiting class while Iamaleava was rated by On3 as the No. 1 player in the 2023 recruiting class.
Nico vs Arch is an obvious storyline for the next couple of years in college football.
It'll be Iamaleava, however, that gets the first chance to be a starter in college football. The California native, who made his first career start in Tennessee's win against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl this past winter, is set to be the Vols' starting quarterback in 2024.
Manning, meanwhile, will serve as the backup to Quinn Ewers at Texas this fall.
Despite his status as a backup, Manning was named by CBS Sports this weekend as one of 10 highly-ranked college football recruits that's "quickly meeting the hype".
Manning's performance in the Longhorns' spring game last month is the main reason given by CBS for including the New Orleans native on their list.
From CBS Sports: Many ridiculously labeled the then-freshman as a bust following a dismal performance in last year's spring game (5 of 13 passing for 30 yards), our No. 1-ranked prospect in the class of 2023 has quickly turned into the toast of the town for the burnt orange.
Manning stole the show in this year's spring game, completing 19 of 25 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those scores were 75-yard bombs where Manning pushed the ball well into the deeper third.
Quinn Ewers is undoubtedly the starter for Texas after leading the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff, but Manning's performance reinforced that he's exactly who we thought he was two years ago: an elite processor with a prototypical frame that can make all the throws.
Iamaleava wasn't included by CBS Sports on their list of highly-rated recruits that are meeting the hype.
(Nebraska true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who has played in zero college football games, however, was included by CBS Sports. Florida true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway was also included.)
Manning was the only redshirt freshman included by CBS Sports. But if you're going to include Manning, how can you not also include Iamaleava?
Iamaleava, who is also a redshirt freshman, actually started a game last season and showed what he can do against one of the best defenses in the nation, passing for 151 yards and a touchdown against the Hawkeyes while also rushing for three touchdowns.
We still haven't seen Manning's first start.
CBS Sports, though, apparently thinks that Manning's big spring game performance was more impressive than Iamaleava earning Citrus Bowl MVP honors in his first career start.
Iamaleava is living up to the hype in games that matter. Manning is living up to the hype in practice. And that's no disrespect to Manning, who looks like he could be a stud quarterback for Texas. It's just that if anyone is deserving of being praised as a highly-rated recruit that's meeting the hype, it's gotta be Nico over Arch.
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