Recruitment Tactics Around Arch Manning

Alabama didn’t hold back in its efforts to recruit Arch Manning.

Pete Golding, who was the defensive coordinator for Crimson Tide at the time, attempted to leverage Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian’s struggles with alcoholism to sway Manning’s decision, as revealed in Seth Wickersham’s biography of the quarterback. Golding spoke candidly about the competitive nature of recruitment, admitting that everything was fair game. According to Wickersham, Sarkisian’s battle with alcoholism was public knowledge, a struggle that nearly derailed his career. During a Zoom call with Manning, Golding shifted the focus to Alabama’s culture and strategy but also ventured into personal territory.

Golding seemed to express genuine concern, saying, “I love Sark. He’s my best friend,” but he didn’t shy away from admitting the pressure Sarkisian was under.

Nelson Stewart, coach at Isidor Newman School in Louisiana, was shocked by Golding’s comments and quickly got in touch with him after the Zoom meeting. “Pete, that’s messed up!” Stewart replied, emphasizing the inappropriateness of Golding’s remarks.

Golding went on to explain that even Alabama’s coach, Nick Saban, was feeling the heat, playfully referring to him as “Daddy.” This sort of tension underscores the lengths to which teams will go in the highly competitive recruitment landscape, especially for a prospect like Manning.

There are no moral boundaries when the stakes are this high, often leading teams to plant seeds of doubt in recruits’ minds regarding their current coaches’ stability.

Concerns about Sarkisian’s past resurfaced, particularly his difficulties while at USC in 2015, which led to his firing. It’s been documented that during that time, he struggled significantly. He ultimately sought treatment, and after some time, he found success first at Alabama and later became the head coach at Texas.

Now, Manning is gearing up for his first full season as Texas’s starting quarterback. Interestingly, his father, Cooper, had hoped he would consider Virginia instead. Manning appreciated Sarkisian’s coaching style and the chance to be part of a promising program, particularly with Texas moving into the Southeastern Conference.

After Manning made his decision to commit to Texas amidst stiff competition from Alabama, Georgia, and Clemson, Golding reached out to Stewart to express his surprise. He mentioned that Manning had concerns about his visibility in Austin due to his size.

Texas is set to start its season as an underdog against Ohio State, notably the defending national champions. There’s uncertainty surrounding Manning’s role, as he could still carry the title of starter heading into the 2026 or 2027 NFL Draft.

In an unexpected twist, Manning’s grandfather, Archie, mentioned he expected Arch to wait until 2027, but that Arch himself seemed a little unsure. “Yeah, I don’t know where he got that,” Archie noted, adding that he’s just taking things one day at a time.