If it wasn’t already clear that Georgia was in the Arch Manning business, some recent quarterback dominoes elsewhere in the SEC should clear up Georgia’s future quarterback pursuits.
While all is still quiet on the Manning front since Manning completed recent trips to Alabama, Texas and Georgia, some of Georgia’s other quarterback targets have moved on to other options.
Two quarterbacks who held Georgia offers both committed on Monday, only for them to end up at other SEC programs.
Malachi Singleton announced his commitment to the Arkansas Razorbacks. Singleton plays for North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Ga., and rates at the No. 24 quarterback in the 2023 recruiting cycle.
Singleton was high school teammates with 2022 Georgia signee De’Nylon Morrissette.
Another Georgia target, Marcel Reed, also announced he would be playing for an SEC West program on Monday, as Reed committed to Ole Miss. Reed plays for Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville and is the No. 20 quarterback prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle. Ole Miss had been trying to recruit Manning, given his father, uncle and grandfather all graduated from Ole Miss. The Rebels just completed their spring game this past weekend.
The top-ranked quarterback in the state of Georgia for the 2023 recruiting cycle also updated his recruitment recently, as Dylan Lonergan released his top-5. Not on the list was Georgia, as South Carolina, Ohio State, Florida, Stanford and Alabama made the cut for the Brookwood High School standout.
What this all makes clear is that Georgia is committed to battling it out for Arch Manning until the end. The Bulldogs are competing with Texas and Alabama for Manning’s services and to this point neither has accepted a commitment from another quarterback prospect, though Alabama seems to be trending for former Texas A&M quarterback Eli Holstein.
Georgia has signed top-tier quarterbacks in each of the past two recruiting cycles, as the Bulldogs landed Brock Vandagriff in the 2021 recruiting cycle and Gunner Stockton in the 2022 recruiting cycle. Texas meanwhile brought in transfer quarterback Quinn Ewers, who was the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle. The Longhorns also signed 4-star quarterback Maalik Murphy in the 2022 recruiting cycle.
Traditionally, Georgia has had its quarterback by this point in the recruiting cycle in recent seasons. Vandagriff and Stockton both committed in January prior to their senior seasons, while Carson Beck committed in March prior to his senior season. Manning though is not your traditional quarterback, as he is the No. 1 overall prospect in the country. Georgia did wait until October to land Justin Fields in the 2018 recruiting cycle when he finished as the No. 2 overall prospect.
Georgia currently has nine commitments for the No. 3 ranked class in the 2023 recruiting cycle. The Bulldogs landed a commitment from 4-star cornerback Justyn Rhett on Monday, giving Georgia a second commitment in the wake of G-Day.
A summer decision is expected for Manning but there has been no firm date put forth regarding a deadline or future visits. Given the publicity surrounding Manning, expect this to be tight-lipped and contested recruiting battle until the end.
As it stands, Georgia has four scholarship quarterbacks on its roster. Presumed starter Stetson Bennett will be entering his final season of eligibility this fall.
More Georgia football stories from around DawgNation
- Georgia LB Channing Tindall brings untapped potential, freakish athleticism to 2022 NFL Draft
- Updating Georgia football 2022 defensive depth chart following spring practice
- James Cook: Georgia running back ready to once again create his own mark ahead of 2022 NFL Draft
- Nakobe Dean: Georgia’s ultimate achiever looks to NFL Draft as next big career climb
- Georgia football lands commitment from 4-star cornerback Justyn Rhett
- Why the transfer portal figures to be busier than usual this week and what that means for Georgia football
- How former Georgia football players fared this spring at 5 different SEC schools
- Oddsmaker: Kendall Milton opens with best Heisman odds among Georgia football players
- As Kirby Smart issues challenge, Sedrick Van Pran takes up mantle of being a Georgia football leader