QB guru offers theory on why Arch Manning chose Texas

Oct 30, 2021; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Recruit Arch Manning, right, and his father Cooper Manning before the game between Clemson and Florida State at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

Arch Manning surprised a lot of people when he chose Texas over several other top programs, but one coach who knows his family well has a theory on why the star quarterback felt most comfortable with the Longhorns.

David Cutcliffe, who coached Peyton Manning at Tennessee and Eli Manning at Ole Miss, recently shared some thoughts on why Arch felt Texas was the best fit. Cutcliffe told Matt Griffith of DawgNation that he believes Arch wanted to blaze his own trail. By choosing Texas, Manning has given himself a chance to eventually play in the SEC while also not having a direct link to the programs his two uncles played for.

“I think the fact Texas is joining the Southeastern Conference kind of put them in the game,” Cutcliffe said. “I’ll go out on a limb, but when I looked at it, I thought, Hmm, Georgia is a big rival of Tennessee, and Alabama is a big rival of Ole Miss, and Ole Miss is Ole Miss.

“So you can be in the conference but not be in direct competition with family, so to speak. Nobody may ever tell you — but that was my take on Texas being a good choice for him.”

There are likely many reasons Manning chose Texas over programs like Georgia and Alabama, which have had more recent success. Arch’s high school coach recently shared one of the biggest factors that went into the decision.

Arch is always going to be compared to Peyton and Eli. There is no way he can avoid that, but Cutcliffe’s theory makes sense.