'He's the most popular recruit of our lifetime' – National director of scouting dissects what makes Arch Manning the most hyped quarterback of the modern recruiting era

Arch Manning's hype continues to soar as SEC Media Days has arrived. The season is right around the corner and a year after fans got a few glimpses of what's to come, the anticipation is through the roof for him to take over the Texas Longhorns offense.

247Sports' national director of scouting, Andrew Ivins, sat down with A to Z Sports Texas to discuss Manning's game, how he meshes with Steve Sarkisian and what to expect in 2025.

"I fully anticipate there to be some lumps and growing pains, but he's the most popular recruit of our lifetime for a reason," Ivins said. "Everyone knows who he is and he's under the microscope every second of every single day."

Sure, he has only started a few games. But it seems like Manning's entire life has been building for this season. He had the benefit of being able to sit back and watch Quinn Ewers work –learning from him and Sarkisian during Texas' CFP semifinal run in 2024.

But, now it's his turn to take Texas back to where it thinks it belongs every year. It's been 20 years since Vince Young led the Longhorns to a national title. And make no mistake about it, Manning knows the significance of his presence in Austin.

Ivins thinks he's the special type of prospect you need to get to a trophy ceremony, too.

"He's got everything you want in the position but it would be wise to tamper expectations a little bit," Ivins said. "Last year I wrote a story about the five-star quarterbacks and imploring them to 'please stand up'. Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik, Connor Weigman., all a bit underwhelmed. Now you see No. 1 pick buzz, Heisman buzz.

"Sometimes we fail to realize they're not day one superheroes," Ivins said. "There's a reason it is the most difficult position to play and scout."