Arch Manning Should Transfer To Auburn
November 15, 2023
Skye Underwood
Today Texas’ starting quarterback sophomore Quinn Ewers announced that he would be returning to Austin for his junior year sending the college football world into a frenzy of speculation predicting Texas freshman backup quarterback Arch Manning’s next move.
REPORT: Quinn Ewers is expected to return to Texas for the 2024 season, per @InsideTexas🤘
— On3 (@On3sports) November 14, 2023
More: https://t.co/bf6UexxI7E pic.twitter.com/jkZpWJukpP
Arch Manning should transfer to Auburn. Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze could assemble so many weapons around the gunslinger that the Tigers’ offense would be unstoppable.
Manning would lead Auburn to a national title. You heard me. Auburn’s the only FBS program who have not one, not two, but three of the top quarterback coaches in college football in Hugh Freeze, Philip Montgomery, and Kent Austin.
Yo all QBs HS and transfers 👀
— CFB Coaching Grades (@CFBcoachgrades) December 12, 2022
If Auburn lands Phil Montgomery they will have not 1, not 2 but 3 top 25% grade qb coaches in all of fbs since 2009
Phil alone is top 10% as a qb coach and in his 5 yrs as a qb coach his guys AVERAGE a 165.413 qb rating with 9.49 yds/attempt 🔥
A big-time quarterback like Arch coming to The Plains would create a domino effect like we’ve never witnessed. If it were announced today that Manning is transferring to Auburn, I’d bet you a paycheck that Auburn would sign at least five blue chip wide receivers — three five-stars & two four-stars — in the 2024 class (you might see this even without Arch). And you can bet your bottom dollar that playmakers in the portal would want to follow a big-name quarterback to The Loveliest Village.
Before you get your Fruit of the Loom’s in a wad, know that this blog is purely for fun. I do not believe Arch Manning is transferring to Auburn. However, I don’t see how he stays at Texas with Ewers set to return. Quite frankly, I’m not sure why Manning chose Texas in the first place considering Ewers was a freshman starter last season.
While Manning likely won’t be transferring to Auburn, that certainly doesn’t mean the Tigers won’t poach the Longhorns’ future quarterback room. Keep an eye on Texas 2025 four-star quarterback commit KJ Lacey out of Saraland, AL. Despite his verbal to the Longhorns, Lacey has taken numerous visits to The Plains and told 247Sports’ Christian Clemente, “I just love coming up here and chopping it up with Coach Freeze and staff.”
BREAKING: Elite 2025 QB KJ Lacey tells me he has Committed to Texas!
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 3, 2023
The 6’1 180 QB from Saraland, AL chose the Longhorns over Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, & others.
He is ranked as the No. 5 QB in the ‘25 Class 🤘🏽https://t.co/j0q6AJa7em pic.twitter.com/yte6BusKEr
Attrition has become a big part of the college football game with the portal and all teams feel the effects of it, both positive and negative. The portal giveth and the portal taketh away. And sometimes players are encouraged to enter the portal by their current program. Coaches cut bait; it’s that simple. It’s the nature of the beast in the current state of college football where coaches are paid gazillions to just win, baby.
In other words, there’s no telling what will happen with the Auburn quarterback room going in to the 2024 season. One would assume that a lot of that depends on what happens in Auburn’s next three games including their bowl.
Auburn junior starting quarterback Payton Thorne has shown improvement over the course of the season as he learns Freeze and Montgomery’s system. He has especially thrived after midseason when Freeze made the decision to start running his true offense of tempo and RPO with Thorne as QB1.
Backups Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner got some snaps against Arkansas in mop-up duty after Thorne helped the Tigers build a commanding lead, but the days of Auburn implementing a two quarterback system seem to be all but history and rightfully so. Anyone that knows ball can see that Thorne has earned his opportunity and the respect of his fellow teammates.
Auburn also has U.S. Army All-American, four-star Walker White (6-3, 225) committed to the 2024 class who plans on joining the Tigers in January as an early enrollee.
Will Auburn’s quarterback room look exactly the same next season, plus White? Will any of the Auburn quarterbacks transfer out? Will Auburn pickup a big-time quarterback in the portal to battle for the job leading up to 2024?
Those are all questions that Auburn will have to address soon. I’m certain that Freeze wants to see vastly improved quarterback play in 2024.
Fortunately for Thorne, he has the perfect opportunity to grab the bull by the horns and lay claim to the position with home games against New Mexico State and Alabama to cap off the regular season. If Payton Thorne is able to play the game of his life against Bama and lead the Tigers to a dub, good luck prying the starting quarterback position out of his hands for 2024 even if your last name is Manning.
