Scouting Report on Duke Recruit Arch Manning's First National TV Game

SI All-American breaks down Manning's performance

Duke coach David Cutcliffe would like nothing better than to coach the latest generation of Mannings. Cutcliffe coached Peyton at Tennessee and Eli at Ole Miss. Now, Cutcliffe’s Duke Blue Devils have offered Arch Manning, nephew of the famous brothers and son of Cooper Manning, who’s football career was cut short by injury but may have been the best athlete out of the Manning brothers.

The Blue Devils have offered Manning, who is a standout in the class of 2023 at New Orleans (La.) Isidore Newman.

Arch was featured in a nationally televised game on Thursday night, with his Greenies taking on New Orleans (La.) Booker T. Washington. SI All-American’s Edwin Weathersby II shared his impressions of Manning’s performance on the big stage.

Body language & Size

Manning is listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds. Weathersby was “most impressed with his lower half, as his calves appeared to possess strength, yet were still fairly sleek, which tells me he likely will grow another inch or two.”

He also was impressed with Manning’s “body language and calm poise. The moment and stage wasn't too big for him, which is an important component.”

Mental Processing & Physical Tools

Manning impressed SIAA most of the night “with a quick release and a smooth setup with his lower half in his delivery. He worked with quick-but-not rushed tempo and a solid internal clock from shotgun alignments.”

Two passes in his first five, all completions, stood out. “His first throw on a vertical rail-shot into the honey hole vs. Cover-2, from the boundary to outside the numbers to the field showed arm strength, touch and vertical accuracy.”

On his fifth completion, “Manning slightly eluded the rush, maintained his vision downfield to process the route distribution by his 3x1 set vs. the coverage and hit a deep post by his No. 3 receiver.”

Manning showcased “athleticism and second reaction production by eluding a few rushers and getting to the edges when flushed. He also worked a few sprint concepts, including hitting a comeback to his right and hitting an out-breaking route in the tight-zone at the goal line. Manning also had a solid 25-plus yard run to further illustrate his mobility.”

A Few Hiccups

Manning threw two interceptions, and his “downfield accuracy somewhat faded in the middle in the game.”

Overall

Manning finished 21/27 for 241 yards, 2 TDs, 2 rushing TDs and 2 INTs. “However, he flashed a combination of size, poise, quick release, plus arm strength and mobility, all traits of a potential high-end QB prospect and SI All-American candidate.”