Friday Night Notes: The Arch Manning Effect, updated 2023 quarterback commits, plus more
USA TODAY High School Sports‘ Friday Night Notes is a weekly high school football recruiting recap that looks at the latest news from around the country—from the Class of 2022 to ’23 and beyond.
Arch Manning ended the massive storm of landing-spot speculation on Thursday, announcing that he’ll be headed to the Texas Longhorns in 2023.
It’s a major recruiting win for the program and coach Steve Sarkisian, who will continue to face the pressures that arise from the Longhorn community’s expectations—which have been spiraling in a gray area, at best, the past few seasons.
And with that Longhorn victory comes the opposite side of the proverbial coin: An above-average loss for the other football programs that hoped to have Arch under center for the next several years. Among them were Georgia, Alabama, LSU, Clemson, and Virginia.
Of course, overemphasizing such a missed chance when talking about teenagers still in a developmental arc makes little sense, even if it’s a Manning. Sure, he’s the top-rated recruit—on all platforms and scouting boards—but certainly not the only play-caller in the class who has a chance at greatness.
So, who’s left? What’s after Arch?
The best of the best still available is growing smaller by the week and each official visit, so let’s look into the updated notebook at the top QBs from the class of 2023 and see what’s what.
1. Arch Manning — Isidore Newman (La.)
Photo: The Daily Advertiser
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 215 pounds
Commitment: Texas
More: Texas climbing up the 2023 recruiting class ranks
2. Malachi Nelson — Los Alamitos (Calif.)
Photo: Blair Angulo, 247Sports
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 180 pounds
Commitment: USC
More: Malachi Nelson opens up on relationship with Caleb Williams
3. Dante Moore — Martin Luther King (Mich.)
USA TODAY Network
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 195 pounds
Commitment: Undecided
More: Oregon Ducks now listed as favorites to land 5-star QB Dante Moore
4. Nicholaus Iamaleava — Warren (Calif.)
(Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports)
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 195 pounds
Commitment: Tennessee
5. Jaden Rashada — Pittsburg (Calif.)
Photo: 247Sports
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 185 pounds
Commitment: Undecided
6. Jackson Arnold — Guyer (Texas)
USA TODAY Network
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 195 pounds
Commitment: Oklahoma
More: Sooners 2023 QB commit Jackson Arnold earns five-star rating in 247Sports composite
7. Christopher Vizzina — Briarwood Christian (Ala.)
Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 200 pounds
Commitment: Clemson
8. Eli Holstein — Zachary (La.)
Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports
Height: 6-foot-3.5
Weight: 226 pounds
Commitment: Texas A&M
9. Dylan Lonergan — Brookwood (Ga.)
Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 215 pounds
Commitment: Undecided
More: Georgia’s top remaining 2023 QB targets after Arch Manning news
10. Pierce Clarkson — St. John Bosco (Calif.)
Photo: Greg Biggins, 247Sports
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 195 pounds
Commitment: Louisville
11. Avery Johnson — Maize (Kan.)
Photo: Ryan Wallace, 247Sports
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 170 pounds
Commitment: Undecided
12. Gabarri Johnson — Lincoln (Wash.)
Photo: Brandon Huffman, 247Sports
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 200 pounds
Commitment: Missouri
More recruiting news from around the USA TODAY Sports college wires
Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports
Buffaloes Wire
CU Buffs football hosting another round of official visits for 2023 recruits
Buckeyes Wire
Ohio State lands second 5-star receiver, Brandon Inniss, in back-to-back days
Gators Wire
4-star DL target pushes up commitment date after Penn State visit
Nittany Lions Wire
Penn State making crystal ball surge for coveted running back
