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It appears that Texas football quarterback Quinn Ewers could be returning for a final season next year, which in turn leaves question marks surrounding Arch Manning and if he'll stay and wait his turn or hit the transfer portal. But if Manning were to decide to transfer, what team would be the best for the former five-star recruit to move on to?
Coming out of high school, Manning was rated top-5 in the ESPN 300 2023 class. But even before that, his name alone carried immense hype and expectation that haven't been seen in ages, if ever. The name Manning and the position of quarterback are so synonymous with each other at this point that it's impossible to separate the two. The fact that Arch went to one of the most decorated college football programs in the country in Texas likewise has its own amount of expectation and hype.
But what if the latest in the Manning family tree never becomes the starter for the Longhorns?
It became a bit concerning after Manning had a poor spring game performance, connecting on only 5-of-13 passes for 30 yards and rushing seven times for -8 yards. Then, it perhaps went into overdrive when head coach Steve Sarkisian named Maalik Murphy the starter over Manning when Ewers got hurt weeks back. In his two starts against BYU and Kansas State, the Longhorns stayed undefeated, but the likewise true freshman struggled at times, yet Manning watched from the sidelines, leaving many to speculate his future.
Is Manning just a true freshman in the greatest sense, or is there room for concern? With the way we've seen the college landscape progress over the last couple of years with the transfer portal and more talent finding starting jobs elsewhere, it wouldn't be surprising to see Manning put his name in the portal when it opens back up, Dec. 4. If Ewers is indeed returning to Austin next fall, and Murphy is the foreseeable backup, does Manning have any other choice? Let's look at some possible destinations for the highly-esteemed Texas football freshman quarterback.
Georgia Bulldogs
Let's get the obvious ones out of the way here first. Kirby Smart's Bulldogs were obviously high on Manning's list, just like every other highly-rated recruit in the country. The question would be, what does current Georgia football quarterback Carson Beck do? He technically has another year of eligibility, but he's having a pretty stellar season that could get him some potential NFL Draft capital.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Even though Jalen Milroe has completely turned his season around, the question mark coming into this season was the quarterback position for Alabama football. For so long, that's been a position that the coaching staff hasn't had to worry about. Could Arch Manning be the answer for Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees? It certainly doesn't seem like Ty Simpson is the answer of the future. Of course, this all depends on Milroe's decision to enter the draft or stay at Alabama as well.
LSU Tigers
It's going to be hard to replace a potential Heisman Trophy candidate in Jayden Daniels in Baton Rouge, but someone will have to regardless. As of right now, that will be Garrett Nussmeier, but that's certainly not a guarantee if Manning steps in.
Manning played his high school days in the state of Louisiana, so this could be a bit of a homecoming, not to mention it would be yet another possible SEC school, a conference only befitting of carrying the Manning family name. It's very easy to see Arch Manning in the purple and gold.
Florida State Seminoles
The current No. 4 team in the country will likewise have to replace its star quarterback in Jordan Travis after this season, as he's finally run out of eligibility. Plus, Mike Norvell has been one of the best coaches in acquiring the best talent out of the transfer portal so far. Just look at what he's done with Keon Coleman. One would have to figure that Arch Manning would fit in nicely with the Seminoles talent.
Miami Hurricanes
This one is probably the least likely of them all, but anyone who follows college football knows that Mario Cristobal is one of the better recruiters in the country. Like Norvell, he's been good at getting needed talent from the transfer portal, like OL Javion Cohen during the offseason. The one position that Miami has so desperately needed is a star quarterback in their near two-decade-plus of irrelevance. Cristobal snagging away Arch Manning from Texas and the SEC into the ACC would be a huge get for him and Miami if they could pull it off.
Washington Huskies
It's clear that Michael Penix Jr. is off to the NFL after this season, which leaves the position at quarterback entering 2024 for the Huskies uncertain. With the way that Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb have completely changed the trajectory of Penix's career, a quarterback like Arch Manning, who could be looking to enhance his skills, might find a good place in Seattle.
