The Fascinating Story Behind Arch Manning's Recruitment

Arch Manning’s recruitment in a nutshell

Unsurprisingly, fans and analysts across the nation became captivated by the idea of a new Manning taking college football by storm. Anticipating how out of hand his recruitment could become in terms of press, Cooper Manning, Arch’s father, employed a “1975 recruitment" strategy.

In other words, Arch and his camp were going to take an old-school approach to making their decision. He would stay off social media, and he wasn't going to take any offers. Instead, they were going to choose their destination.

"They didn't want Arch to have to be on social media like every other quarterback, you know, talking about how thrilled and humbled they were to receive a scholarship offer," Wickerman said.

Additionally, Cooper entrusted Arch’s high school head coach, Nelson Stewart, with handling his recruitment from a management perspective. 

"It got so competitive and so ruthlessly intense between them [the coaches] as they were trying to get Arch," Wickersham said, "They did all kinds of things."

Coaches began showing up at Isidore Newman High School during the day to try to build relationships with Stewart, as he was their closest point of access to Arch.

Eventually, the high school phenom with one of football’s most familiar names narrowed his options down to three schools: Alabama, Georgia, and, of course, Texas. With respective head coaches of Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, and Steve Sarkisian, Arch had quite the choice to make.     

One of the reasons the Forty Acres became his desired home was that it provided something the other two schools couldn’t offer him: places to hide. He also wanted to be a part of a program he saw the most potential in.

"He wanted to be part of a team that was going to take the next step," Wickerman said. "I think he never lost focus of that."

Now, over three years later, Arch has finally taken the reins for the Longhorns.

Arch’s career with Texas

Arch's big tasks for the 2025 season include leading his team to the pinnacle of college football (an NCAA national title) while balancing the press that has only grown in intensity as the season moves forward.

After a rough Week 1 loss against the Ohio State Buckeyes and a subpar performance by Manning, the journey towards success seems like a bit of an uphill battle. That being said, Arch is no stranger to pressure.

What he will need to do next is prove that he's capable of handling it on the field.