Alabama’s latest commit could mean it’s a two-team race for Arch Manning
By John Buhler
Eli Holstein committing to Alabama sends major shockwaves in Arch Manning’s recruitment.
A massive domino has fallen in the college football recruiting world, as four-star 2023 quarterback Eli Holstein committed to Alabama on Tuesday afternoon.
The four-star signal-caller from Zachary, Louisiana had initially been committed to Texas A&M. He had 24 official offers and was looking at Florida and LSU before committing to the Crimson Tide. Of course, this commitment has massive implications on the Arch Manning recruitment front. Alabama was one of three teams that was seen as a finalist for his five-star 2023 commitment.
With Holstein going to Tuscaloosa, one would think it will be either Georgia or Texas for Manning.
https://twitter.com/Hayesfawcett3/status/1529131619692552194
Eli Holstein commits to Alabama, Arch Manning to Georgia or Texas, probably
Manning has three official visits planned next month: Georgia on June 3, Alabama on June 10 and Texas on June 11. But with news of Holstein committing to the Crimson Tide, it has massively reshaped On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine. It has Texas as the leader at 51.7 percent, Georgia at a dangerously close second at 45.3 percent and Alabama at an out-of-it third at 1.2 percent.
Alabama had been the closest school the New Orleans native was really considering. While Athens and Austin are roughly equidistant from Manning’s hometown, only one elite college town will be where Manning spends the next four formative years of his life. Now that Alabama is pretty much out of the mix for Manning, Georgia and Texas must be all gas and no brakes to land the five-star.
Ultimately, this comes down to one thing beyond where Manning feels the most comfortable at, obviously: Does he want to build on what Georgia has already done under family friend Kirby Smart’s watch or does he want to be the one to bring Texas back under the coach he is supposedly tightest with in Steve Sarkisian? It will be either “Go Dawgs!” or “Hook ‘Em, Horns!” for Manning.
Holstein is a great get for Alabama, but one that signifies that Manning is not committing to them.
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