5 reasons Kirby Smart can sell Arch Manning on committing to Georgia
By John Buhler
Kirby Smart should have every reason to believe he can get Arch Manning to commit to Georgia.
Fresh off leading his alma mater to its first national title in 41 years, Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart is very much in the mix to win the Arch Manning sweepstakes for 2023.
Manning is the grandson of Archie, the son of Cooper and the nephew of Eli and Peyton. The five-star quarterback from New Orleans is the crown jewel of the 2023 recruiting cycle. The five programs he has been most connected to throughout his recruiting process are Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas. While Clemson has faded, LSU has picked up some steam.
Even if Georgia did lose its primary recruiter of Manning in Cortez Hankton to LSU, here is why Smart can feel very confident about his program’s chances of landing Manning’s commitment.
Georgia football: 5 reasons why Kirby Smart can get Arch Manning to commit
5. The future of the quarterback position at Georgia is unsettled after 2022
This predicament is all about how Smart spins it. While Georgia does not have a great track record of signing and developing quarterbacks under Smart, it is not like the quarterback room will have an undisputed leader by the time Manning potentially arrives on campus this time next year. Stetson Bennett IV will have exhausted his eligibility, leaving open a very intriguing competition.
Assuming Carson Beck transfers, the two other quarterbacks of note in the room Manning would be walking into are 2021 five-star Brock Vandagriff and 2022 four-star Gunner Stockton. Though both were excellent high school players in-state, neither played at the highest level of competition. Manning too many be a small-school guy, but he would have a chance to win the job.
Even though the Mannings are football’s royal family, odds are, they will still want Arch to compete for a starting job and just not be handed one because of his last name.