Longhorns' Steve Sarkisian Details Recruiting Impact Arch Manning Had on Texas
When Arch Manning announced his commitment to the Texas Longhorns in June, the college football recruiting landscape flipped on its head.
Manning's pledge to Texas caused a colossal domino effect, as a slew of other recruits began to follow suit to Austin. It was a pattern of good fortunate that Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian clearly recognized, and he didn't hesitate to admit it on Wednesday after Texas officially signed Manning and others for Early Signing Day.
"I think there was a direct impact on the rest of the class," Sarkisian said. "I think there was a lot of players in this class that thought 'Man if the No. 1 in the country is going to Texas and believes in what they're doing, that's a pretty good destination for me too."
Manning's commitment was a bit out of nowhere, as it came in the middle of the summer as the Longhorns were beginning prep for the 2022 season. But whether Manning committed in eighth grade or waited all the way up until National Signing Day, it was obviously a pledge Sarkisian and company were stoked about.
“When he committed to us, it was actually a little earlier than maybe we were anticipating in the process in the summer," Sarkisian said with a smile. "But we took it, we were excited about it.”
While Manning could've chosen to follow in the footsteps of his legendary uncles Peyton and Eli by going to the traditional SEC teams right away rather than wait for Texas to make that jump, he decided to bet on Sarkisian, who, in some ways, is a near-perfect fit for Manning due to his experience at coaching and playing the quarterback position.
This has made his evaluation of Manning -- a process now nearly four years in the making -- more seamless as the two begin to get to work this offseason.
“I think he’s extremely gifted," Sarkisian said. "He’s got all the attributes needed to be a really good quarterback. He’s 6-4, 225 (pounds). He’s got a great arm, he’s a good athlete. He’s got really good fundamentals. There’s not a throw he can’t make, the off-platform throws."
While there's future-focused hype surrounding the Longhorns following an exciting Early Signing Day, Sarkisian and the rest of the team will look to bid this year's squad a pleasant farewell by closing out the season with a win over the No. 12 Washington Huskies at the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio on Thursday, Dec. 29.
After that, it's "All Gas, No Brakes" toward what should be an exciting offseason.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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