Report reveals how far Texas went to recruit Arch Manning
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
The Texas Longhorns scored a coup in recruiting by landing Arch Manning, and it sounds like they paid a hefty sum to do so.
Manning took his official visit to Texas in June, and the Longhorns spared no expense in making it a memorable trip. According to records obtained by Sam Khan Jr. of The Athletic, the university spent $280,000 for food, accommodations, and other luxuries for Manning and eight other recruits that visited on the weekend of June 17.
In addition to a luxury hotel and food, Texas paid up for recruits to play at TopGolf, as well as a cruise on Lady Bird Lake. Manning did not commit during the three-day visit, but did so publicly four days after it ended.
To be clear, this was hardly special treatment just for Manning. One weekend later, the school hosted 14 recruits with largely the same itinerary for nearly $350,000.
As impressive as the visit was, it does sound like there were other factors that played into Manning’s decision to attend Texas. If nothing else, this grants a look at just how glitzy recruiting is at the highest levels of college football.
