Arch Manning Should Transfer. Here Are 6 Schools He Could Shine At

We're in the age of the transfer portal, which means kids rarely stick around at the same school for the entirety of their college careers.

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One notable quarterback who will have a decision to make is Texas Longhorns' Arch Manning. Starter Quinn Ewers seems likely to to return to Austin next year, especially given the depth of this year's NFL Draft quarterback crop. Considering he just took the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff Semifinals, he'll surely be the starter next season as well.

Manning, who completed two of five pass attempts as a freshman, recently told reporters prior to the Sugar Bowl that he had no plans to transfer. Things change, though, and he may begin to question whether it's worth waiting until 2025 to start at Texas.

#Texas backup QB Arch Manning on speculation about whether he’d transfer if starter Quinn Ewers returns. pic.twitter.com/dcevZi7D3L

— Brett Martel (@brettmartel) December 30, 2023

Given that he was the top recruit in the 2023 class, he may do what nearly every quarterback in this year's four-team CFP did at one point in their careers: transfer. And considering that the three signal-calling Heisman Trophy finalists were also all transfers (Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix), it could make sense for the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning to swap jerseys for another program.

Nobody's saying he's linking up with Deion Sanders at Colorado anytime soon (though that would be TV gold), but below we've come up with some options for young Arch if he decides to ditch the burnt orange. College football would simply be more fun if a Manning were starting somewhere sooner than later.

Alabama 

We'll start with a school Manning nearly chose during his recruiting process. While Jalen Milroe ultimately helped Nick Saban's Crimson Tide beat Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, we have to remember they nearly lost to Auburn and almost weren't in the playoff at all. Alabama's offense this season wasn't what fans have been used to, and Milroe's inconsistency at times played a part in that.

Five-star recruit Julian Sayin will enter the picture next season too, which doesn't make Alabama the easiest path to starting for Manning. Still, I wouldn't rule it out, especially if it doesn't look like Milroe will start next season.

Washington

Could there be a more desirable school to play quarterback for right now than Washington? Penix Jr. just threw for more passing yards than anyone in the NCAA under head coach Kalen DeBoer's offensive scheme. Former Mississippi State passer Will Rogers has already announced his decision to transfer, but Manning would have a much easier time beating him out than Ewers.

LSU

Back to the SEC, where a Manning naturally belongs. If Peyton and Eli were legends at Tennessee and Ole Miss, Arch could do the same at another SEC West school, plus he gets to return to his home state. The Tigers boast two of the past five Heisman winners in Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow, and Brian Kelly's squad is as attractive as anyone's.

LSU is bringing in AJ Swann from Vanderbilt, plus Garrett Nussmeier looked great in their bowl game against Wisconsin, but neither were as highly touted as Manning. This is the perfect full-circle move for the Manning family.

Miami

Mario Cristobal enters his third season at Miami and boasts a 12-13 record. He needs an elite quarterback desperately, and with Tyler Van Dyke transferring to Wisconsin, Manning could be the cherry on top of Cristobal's gem of a 2024 recruiting class. Miami also has former four-star quarterback Jacurri Brown returning in 2024, but that's also a battle Manning could win.

Auburn

Auburn needs a quarterback like, yesterday. Payton Thorne was very clearly not the guy this season, throwing for 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as Auburn's offense ranked 74th out of 133 teams. Backup Robby Ashford recently hit the transfer portal, leaving Auburn with little depth heading into the 2024 season. Head coach Hugh Freeze can recruit, and he has two five-star receivers signed in the 2024 class, but he needs a Manning to put Auburn back on the map.

Ole Miss

This one was just too good to pass up. Arch's grandfather, Archie Manning, set records at Ole Miss. His uncle Eli is still the school record holder for career passing yards and passing touchdowns. Jaxson Dart, who played terrifically in the Peach Bowl against Penn State, will return in 2024, which further crowds a quarterback room featuring Spencer Sanders and Walker Howard. Manning needs to link up with Lane Kiffin and fulfill his destiny. It's time, Arch.

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