Clemson couldn’t have made a better impression on Arch Manning, the nation’s top-ranked prospect in the 2023 class, than it did when he was on campus this summer.
The Tigers played host to the five-star quarterback from Isidore Newman School (New Orleans, La.) during the Dabo Swinney Camp in June, and he and his family were blown away by the visit.
It was the first visit of the summer for Manning, who also made trips to Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, SMU and Texas in June.
The Clemson Insider recently caught up with Manning’s head coach at Isidore Newman, Nelson Stewart, about Manning’s recruitment, his travel plans for this fall, the summer visit to Clemson and much more.
“It was just a home-run trip,” Stewart said of Manning’s Clemson visit, “and it was really a nice way for him to kind of kick everything off.”
Manning, of course, is the grandson of former Ole Miss and NFL quarterback Archie Manning, son of Cooper Manning and nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning.
Arch made the trip to Tiger Town with his parents and younger brother, Heid, an offensive lineman in the class of 2024 who also worked out at the Swinney Camp.
Everything about Clemson impressed Arch and his family – from the culture and how the players and coaches interacted with them, to the coaching staff continuity and the program’s cultivation of quarterbacks, among other things. And it certainly didn’t hurt that Manning had the opportunity to spend time at Swinney’s house and received an offer from Swinney under the lights of Death Valley.
“I think their culture is just nails,” Stewart said when asked what stood out to Manning about his experience at Clemson. “You keep hearing that all the time, but it’s very evident. Just how the players talked, how the coaches talked, just the uniformity of everything that they have … The staff, I think that’s one of the things. The lack of turnover. They’ve been together so long … And just the program they’ve built, it’s proven, and obviously they’ve done a great job developing quarterbacks.”
“I just think he and his family were impressed on all levels,” Stewart added. “It couldn’t have gone any better.”
According to Stewart, Arch is planning to be back in Clemson at some point this season to take in a game at Death Valley.
“I think he’s definitely going to go to a game, I just think he’s not quite sure which one yet,” Stewart said. “But he will be going to Death Valley. I know he’s awful excited to get a chance to see them play.”
Clemson quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter got back in touch with Manning last Wednesday, Sept. 1, when coaches were allowed to start initiating contact with prospects in the 2023 class. Manning set up a FaceTime call with Streeter that night, and Stewart also told TCI that Manning has been on a Zoom call with the whole offensive staff in the past.
Isidore Newman’s season has been delayed due to Hurricane Ida, but Stewart said they are on track to begin the season with a home opener on Sept. 17, and he expects Streeter to be in attendance to see Manning play.
Per Stewart, in addition to Clemson, Manning is looking to visit schools such as Alabama, Texas, Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss this season.
Stewart says it’s still early in Manning’s recruiting process, and he is not in a hurry to render his college decision.
“I think now that September 1 has come, he’s really able to form his own relationships and communicate directly with coaches, which I think is very important,” Stewart said. “And I think he wants to get on campus. I think that’s one of the things his family wants to do. They want to get on campus, experience a gameday, talk to students, really immerse themselves in that. I think he’s still very much – as crazy as it is – I think there’s still a lot to learn. I think the pandemic really slowed everything up. So, just getting to actually talk eye to eye and not just on Zoom or FaceTime, I think those visits will be really important.”
“I think he did not have a bad visit this summer,” Stewart continued. “It’s kind of like his dad said, that every week it’s like he went to see a Ferrari, the best of the best. So, I know he loved Clemson. That was neat. That was his first trip, got to earn that offer. So, just real humble in it (the recruiting process), real early, and trying not to lean. He’s not one of those guys that’s going to make any impulsive decisions. So, a lot left to do. I don’t think anybody’s behind in this.”
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