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The top five uncommitted QBs in the 2023 class

Arch Manning
Arch Manning (Sam Spiegelman)

Top prospects are coming off the board all the time but it’s only April, which means a lot of elite recruits are still uncommitted. In this two-week series, we break down the top five uncommitted players at each position, starting today with quarterbacks.


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1. ARCH MANNING

The latest round of visits is finished and the No. 1 prospect in the country remains uncommitted as everyone who follows recruiting, college football and even other top quarterbacks wait to see where he picks. Alabama, Georgia and Texas look like a top three. An argument could be made for each school and Manning hardly does any media interviews so speculation runs rampant.

Here’s what we know: The five-star and nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning respects the heck out of coach Nick Saban and Bill O’Brien and an impression was made when Saban watched intently all of Manning’s basketball game this past season. Manning loves Athens, jells with offensive coordinator Todd Monken and respects the success the Bulldogs had this past season.

There are all kinds of theories on Texas but his relationships with coach Steve Sarkisian and especially position coach AJ Milwee are arguably the strongest. One idea is that Manning wants to see how the Longhorns perform this season before pulling the trigger. He could commit to Alabama or Georgia anytime and pretty much know what he’s getting. Texas is the one wild card and that’s why some believe if the Longhorns start strong then they could be the frontrunner.

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2. DANTE MOORE

Notre Dame is still believed to be the front-runner for the Detroit (Mich.) Martin Luther King standout and I’ve been told other top quarterbacks might be holding off on their decisions until Moore figures out his own recruitment. There has been some talk that Moore is leaning toward staying in the Midwest and his relationship with coach Marcus Freeman, offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and his general interest in Notre Dame all stand out.

Michigan and Michigan State are also contenders and he recently visited Ohio State but that has not clicked like others. LSU would be the other program to really watch. Playing in Baton Rouge would give him the opportunity to play for former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly alongside elite SEC talent. That could be compelling especially with five-star WRs Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss along with high four-star Jalen Brown all looking there as well. Moore visits LSU this weekend.

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3. ELI HOLSTEIN

When the four-star quarterback from Zachary, La., visits Alabama now he’s not only meeting with coach Nick Saban but having in-depth conversations with him about most everything as the two continue to build that relationship. Along with Saban, Holstein talks with offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and other staffers as the Crimson Tide have made it clear they want Holstein to be in the Crimson Tide class.

There is also the delicate balancing of figuring out Manning’s situation because those are the top two targets for Alabama right now. A former Texas A&M commit, Holstein will visit Florida this week as the Gators try to stay involved in his recruitment, too, and that could be an interesting situation because recent visitors have loved their trips to Gainesville since coach Billy Napier took over. As of a few weeks ago, LSU hasn’t had much contact with Holstein even though his father played there and some feel the Aggies could get back in it but that’s unknown right now.

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4. JADEN RASHADA

Out of this entire group, Rashada could be the hardest to pin down when it comes to a commitment. He visited Arkansas over the weekend and it looked like it went well. Ole Miss is definitely a contender and playing for coach Lane Kiffin is a major draw. Miami has been involved and could be a contender. The four-star quarterback from Pittsburg, Calif., is definitely in the same ballpark skill-wise as five-stars Malachi Nelson and Nico Iamaleava in the West. He has plenty of options as things shake out in his recruitment and others as well.

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5. DYLAN LONERGAN

The interesting part of Lonergan’s recruitment is that he is also considering his future in baseball along with football and so much more when it comes to making a decision. Stanford is definitely a serious contender because of the football and academics mix but South Carolina is right there as well and he had another outstanding visit to Columbia this past weekend. Lonergan is clearly a priority in Columbia.

Alabama, Ohio State, Florida and others remain in the mix as well and a top list could be released soon before official visits.

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