The most intriguing quarterback prospect in the nation hasn't even graduated from high school yet, but with a surname associated with NFL royalty, it's easy for college football teams and fans to pay close attention to his development. Atop the list of 2023 five-star recruits is Arch Manning -- the teenage nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning -- who's already been courted by powerhouses like Georgia, Alabama, and Clemson. It's one of the sport's biggest sweepstakes.
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Manning has showcased dual-threat traits as the starter for Isidore Newman (La.) -- unlike his uncles. In three seasons, he's racked up 6,307 passing yards with 81 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, and on the ground, he's amassed 742 yards with 19 scores. Manning's senior season this upcoming fall will draw countless eyeballs, but has his name and potential been overhyped? One popular quarterback trainer senses it.
"I've watched a good bit of his high school tape. I'm intrigued. But, I wouldn't peg him the way that a lot of people in the recruiting world have pegged him," trainer Quincy Avery explained to the Maggie and Perloff show on Wednesday. "And if his name wasn't Manning, I'm not sure that he'd be looked at the same way. He's really athletic, far more athletic than you'd anticipate with the name Manning being. So, that's really cool.
"He throws the ball well, and he plays with the level of anticipation that you'd expect from someone in the Manning lineage. He thinks the game really well, and you can see that. But, it's also hard to tell with the competition that he's playing against. He's not playing against elite guys. So you're not saying, 'Oh, this guy's a future D1 player, I want to see him do it against him.' You don't see that with him. So, it's a little bit harder to judge him, as a prospect."
The entire quarterbacks conversation between Avery and Maggie and Perloff can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Maggie and Perloff Show on Twitter @MaggieandPerl and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.