College football recruiting rankings: Arch Manning unseated as No. 1 player
For every day up to now, Arch Manning was the universal No. 1 player in the college football recruiting rankings in the 2023 cycle.
But one major recruiting service has dropped Manning from the top spot after ESPN demoted Manning to the No. 2 position among all recruits.
The new No. 1 player: Malachi Nelson, the 5-star quarterback who pledged to Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans this offseason.
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Nelson, a mobile athlete and polished pocket passer, was a major pickup for Riley in his first recruiting outing, and he should pair well with Zachariah Branch, the 5-star receiver out of Vegas football factory Bishop Gorman.
Manning is still the top-ranked player at the other services — 247Sports, Rivals, and On3 Sports — and made waves when he announced a commitment to Texas.
Analyst called Arch Manning overrated
This isn't the first time that someone in the recruiting field has disagreed with the idea that Arch Manning was the best player in his class.
Long-time college football recruiting analyst Mike Farrell thinks that Manning's family connection drastically inflated his scouting profile.
"If his last name wasn't Manning, he would be a 3-star," Farrell said.
RELATED: College football insider thinks Arch Manning is an overrated recruit
College football recruiting rankings
According to ESPN
1. Malachi Nelson — quarterback, committed to USC
2. Arch Manning — quarterback, committed to Texas
3. Dante Moore — quarterback, committed to Oregon
4. Cormani McClain — cornerback, uncommitted
5. Francis Mauigoa — offensive tackle, committed to Miami
6. Zachariah Branch — wide receiver, committed to USC
7. Anthony Hill — outside linebacker, uncommitted
8. Jaquavious Russaw — linebacker, uncommitted
9. Peter Woods — defensive tackle, committed to Clemson
10. Kadyn Proctor — offensive tackle, committed to Iowa
Arch Manning stats
As a junior at Isidore Newman in New Orleans, Manning threw for 1,947 yards and 26 touchdowns to four interceptions with another seven rushing scores.
In his high school career, he’s thrown for 6,307 yards as a starter in three seasons with 81 touchdowns passing and 19 rushing.
He averages almost 13 yards per pass, over 212 passing yards per game, and has 18 career interceptions.
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