Georgia pursued quarterback Arch Manning and was once the leader in his recruitment before he chose Texas.
The former five-star prospect returns to Athens this weekend wearing orange and white as the Longhorns (7-2, 4-1) and the Bulldogs (8-1, 6-1) will face off in a top-10 matchup at Sanford Stadium.
Manning was among the preseason favorites to win the Heisman Trophy, but hasn’t lived up to the hype.
Regardless, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart still thinks highly of Manning, having recruited him several years ago. The ninth-year head coach of the Bulldogs knows the Texas quarterback remains talented, regardless of any struggles he’s faced this season.
“It really wasn’t about the celebrity nature or the last name. It was about the tape,” Smart said of recruiting Manning while he was in high school.
“I have a really good relationship with their family. I’ve known his dad for a while, his uncle for a long time, and his grandfather. They’ve got a wonderful family, but it has nothing to do with his recruitment.
“His recruitment was based on, he’s athletic, he’s fast, he’s tall, he’s intelligent, he’s got composure, and he’s got an arm,” Smart explained. “I mean, he can really do it all. He can run the ball, and he can throw the ball. In this day and age, you’ve got to have a quarterback that can do both, and he can.”
Manning sat behind Quinn Ewers for two seasons at Texas and is now the starter. Although he’s struggled, the nephew of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning has the Longhorns vying for a spot in the College Football Playoff. They need to upset Georgia to keep their postseason hopes alive, though.
Texas lost its season opener to reigning national champion and current No. 1 Ohio State and then dropped a game to an unranked Florida squad. The Longhorns have since won four straight games, with two being against top-25 teams.
In the past two games, Manning completed 54 of 79 passes for 674 yards and six touchdowns with one interception. He’s progressed as a quarterback since the start of the season and has helped the Texas offense thrive.
“He’s playing with more confidence,” Smart said. “I think number one, he’s getting better protection. He’s seeing things well. He’s making good decisions. He’s getting the ball out of his hand quickly. He’s maturing. He’s had an opportunity to play and grow, and you don’t really get that until you get out there and play.”
Georgia’s defense has struggled this year, but is improving each week. Still, mobile quarterbacks give the unit fits. The Bulldogs need to keep Manning in the pocket and not let him scramble. They also need to bring him down.
“You have to rush intelligently and violently, and those two don’t always mix,” Smart said. “It’s hard to do that and contain the quarterback. We’ve had some opportunities to get sacks that we’ve capitalized on. We had a couple of chances on normal down stuff the last week with Mississippi State’s style of play, but it’ll be key this week for sure because Arch is really good.
“They’re good at protection. They know what they’re doing. They’ve got different protections, and it’s a challenge every week for our defense to try to affect the quarterback.”