Tuesdays with Gorney: QB dominoes have yet to fall
There continues to be a lot of movement in the 2023 recruiting class and the quarterback dominoes are of high interest nationally. In today’s Tuesdays with Gorney, Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney takes a look at where things stand with the quarterbacks left on the board and what that means for others down the line:
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I write a lot about quarterbacks in this space mainly because the position interests most everyone, including me, but also because there remain so many intriguing storylines in the 2023 class. Those decisions will also cascade down into 2024 standouts making their decisions.
I’ve been told that numerous quarterbacks in the 2023 and 2024 classes are waiting for five-star Arch Manning to make his decision. But after talking to New Orleans (La.) Isidore Newman coach Nelson Stewart briefly over the weekend, Manning is now mainly focused on spring ball with his team that runs through late May.
Nothing has been determined for a decision timetable yet but focusing on spring ball makes me think Manning could take one more round of trips for officials or wait until the fall to see some games before making his decision. Manning knows what he’s going to get from Alabama and Georgia. Texas is a wild card and if the Longhorns come out on fire – or ice cold – this season, it could influence Manning’s choice and he won’t be one that flip-flops after making his pledge.
It’s not his problem but Manning could be holding up others.
One 2024 quarterback said he’s waiting to see where Manning ends up before he gets too serious about figuring out favorites. Without it being said, it felt like the conversation was: “I won’t go to the same school as Arch Manning.”
The No. 1 player in the country is not the only one. Another top 2024 quarterback told me if 2023 five-star quarterback Dante Moore goes to Notre Dame, he would probably cross the Irish off his list. They probably lead for Moore but the Detroit Martin Luther King standout visits LSU this weekend and he has a prior relationship with coach Brian Kelly. Michigan, Michigan State and others are involved, too.
Alabama remains one of the favorites for Manning but the Crimson Tide are also heavily pursuing former Texas A&M commit Eli Holstein, who took another visit to Tuscaloosa over the weekend.
Holstein visits Florida this week but the timing could be interesting here. If Alabama takes a commitment from Holstein, it would almost definitely lose out on Manning. So how that’s handled until Manning is ready to make a decision is something to watch unless Alabama feels it’s ready to go on Holstein and cannot wait forever for Manning..
The other top 2023 quarterbacks left uncommitted – Jaden Rashada and Dylan Lonergan – would not have much of a significant domino effect on others. Four-star JJ Kohl came off the board to Iowa State on Monday evening.
But the decisions of Manning, Moore, Holstein and others are playing a big role when it comes to 2024 recruiting as well.
Does DJ Lagway, the top dual-threat quarterback in the 2024 class out of Willis, Texas, look as closely at the Longhorns if he sees Quinn Ewers there now followed by a potential Manning commitment? That surely would be a trade Texas would be happy taking but Lagway is a special player in his own right.
Five-star Julian Sayin is very high on Notre Dame but would Moore picking the Irish hurt their chances with the 2024 standout from Carlsbad, Calif.? Might that push him to one of his other favorites – Michigan, Georgia or Texas?
Both Jadyn Davis, currently the top-ranked quarterback in the 2024 class, and high four-star Dylan Raiola were expected at Ohio State this weekend and the word I’ve been getting is that Raiola could be the top target for the Buckeyes. He definitely is at USC but he’s closely watching the situation nationally as well since Georgia and others are high on his list.
There is also some chatter that Notre Dame could be the favorite for CJ Carr despite his grandfather being former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr. His decision could be impacted by Moore’s decision, and that plays into what Sayin is thinking.
The quarterback dominoes are always intriguing. This year especially with so many moving parts yet to come and a kid named Arch Manning still to make arguably the biggest decision over the next two recruiting cycles.