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Texas may not be able to pay Arch Manning to play for the Longhorns, but the university reportedly opened up the vault for the top recruit to make him feel like the king of Austin.
Sam Khan Jr. of The Athletic reported Texas spent nearly $280,000 during Manning’s two-day official visit in June. The visit included eight other prospects, but there was no question the school was rolling out a Benjamin Franklin-printed carpet for Manning.
The lavish weekend included a stay at a luxury hotel, two dinners averaging over $30,000 and a pair of open-bar parent socials that totaled five figures.
While it’s standard for recruits to visit the campus and receive elevator pitches from coaches, this was a first-class wine-and-dine experience designed to impress parents just as much as the players.
The weekend was, from a recruiting standpoint, an unmitigated success. Manning announced his commitment to Texas days after the visit, and he’ll be joined by 3-star high school teammate Will Randle, who was also on the trip.
The exorbitant tab for the weekend may open eyes across the country, but it’s merely the cost of doing high-level business in college football.
Manning will arrive at Texas as one of the most touted prospects in program history, equipped with every tool necessary to be a star and the pedigree of his last name as the nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning. We’ll have to wait until next year to see whether he lives up to the massive investment.
Recruit ratings via 247Sports.