Longhorns Commit Arch Manning Supplanted As No. 1 QB Per ESPN
The Texas Longhorns landed the nation's most sought-after recruit last month when quarterback Arch Manning committed to the program.
What ensued was a historic run by the Longhorns on the trail, with many of the nation's top talents following Manning's decision to head to the 40 Acres.
And as the nation's unanimous top quarterback at the time, it made sense. Other players naturally gravitate towards elite signal callers, and per all the major recruiting services, Manning was the best of the best.
However, that is no longer the case, at least according to ESPN, which dropped Manning down to the No. 2 spot behind USC commitment Malachi Nelson.
You can read ESPN's reasoning behind Manning's drop below:
We have always been cautious with high quarterback rankings. After all, many don't pan out. In fact, there are several quarterbacks who are legitimate candidates for the No. 1 QB in the class and a top-five ranking. That said, Nelson, who followed Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to USC, supplants Manning for the top overall spot in the ESPN 300 entering their senior high school seasons.
With Nelson, we have seen a larger sample size (you can find previous scouting reports of ours here and here), and the 6-foot-3, 185-pound quarterback has faced a higher level of competition for Los Alamitos High School (California). He has also developed physically, which has lead to more arm velocity. In our multiple in-person evaluations this spring and summer, our biggest observation from Nelson has been the growth beyond physical maturity as we see a more seasoned leader. His abilities in game, as well as his performances at camps and combines, make us confident he is now the No. 1 quarterback in the class. (Manning is still No. 2.)
To be fair, ESPN's reasoning is sound. Nelson faces the highest competition in the country at Los Alamitos and has proved time and time again at events such as Elite 11 that he is worthy of the top spot.
Manning, on the other hand, faces a lower level of competition at Isidore Newman, and while he has excelled at that level, he did not participate in any spring or summer camps -- including against nation's the top competition at Elite 11.
Either way, this is no reason to fret for Longhorns fans. When it boils down to it, recruiting rankings are not a static measure of a recruit's future outlook.
Manning is still an elite prospect and arguably the best of the best, and the impact of his commitment on both the program and on the recruiting trail is showing no signs of slowing down.
You can follow Matt Galatzan on Twitter @MattGalatzan
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