After Missing Out On Arch Manning Sweepstakes, Did Clemson Get Better QB Prospect In Chris Vizzina?

Despite missing on Arch Manning, there's an argument to be made that Clemson ended up with the better quarterback prospect in Chris Vizzina.

Jason Priester All Clemson

Sometimes, missing out on your top target ends up working out for the best.

The 2023 recruiting cycle was the second consecutive class in which Clemson didn't secure a commitment from the first quarterback targeted by the program. On the surface, that might sound like a bad thing. However, things often tend to have a way of working themselves out.

In 2022, Ty Simpson was the early target. After he announced a commitment to Alabama, the Tigers quickly turned to Cade Klubnik, who committed shortly thereafter. Throughout the following summer, Klubnik's stock really started to skyrocket, culminating with the quarterback beating Simpson out at the Elite-11, and earning MVP honors in the process. He also wound up being the top-ranked quarterback in the class. 

The 2023 cycle has played out in a similar fashion. Clemson was an early participant in the Arch Manning sweepstakes, who many of the recruiting services have pegged as the top quarterback prospect in the current recruiting class. At the time, he was the top target.

Late last year, when it was apparent Manning would not be seriously considering the Tigers, the coaching staff once again moved quickly, offering 2023 QB Chris Vizzina, another blue-chip prospect.

Vizzina committed to the Tigers in April and like Klubnik, his stock has started to climb throughout the summer. The quarterback was impressive in competing at this year's Elite 11 and is currently generally considered a Top-50 talent and one of the five best quarterbacks in the country.

While Manning, who recently committed to Texas, might still be rated higher than Vizzina, there is an argument to be made that once again Clemson has come away with the better quarterback prospect. In a recent interview, national recruiting analyst, Mike Farrell, went as far as to say that if Arch had a different last name, he might not be so highly rated.

"If his name was Arch..... Smith, I think he'd probably be a high three-star quarterback," Farrell said.

Make no mistake, coming from a family that produced the likes of Archie, Payton and Eli Manning, the younger Manning absolutely has the bloodlines. Even his father, Cooper Manning, was well on his way to becoming a successful player before a spinal stenosis diagnosis ended his career.

While Farrell believes Manning has all the tools to develop into a very good quarterback, he also believes that his last name has benefitted him when it comes to the rankings.

"The Manning name is important," he said. "It's not just the name but it's what goes into that. Cooper was a tremendous athlete. Obviously, Eli and Payton and Archie are great football minds. This kid's been taught since a young age. You have to assume based on the success of everybody else in that family, and Cooper would have been very good as an athlete had he not had that injury, that he's going to be good.

Another argument Farrell makes against Manning's lofty ranking is that he plays against what many consider lesser competition, and when he's had a chance to play against the better teams, the results haven't been there, as evidenced by the quarterback going just 7-16 for 44 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception in his team's playoff loss last season.

"He plays a very low level of competition," Farrell said. "He's hasn't progressed. He had a really good freshman season. I wouldn't say regression but he hasn't progressed. And when he has had to step up against other competition, you know, especially the playoff game where he looked awful, it just hasn't translated."

To be fair, Manning has not been competing at camps this summer, or any quarterback events such as the Elite-11. There was really no need for him to do so.

Having said that, again, there's an argument that can be made, that while once again, Clemson didn't hit on its first choice at quarterback, the Tigers might have possibly come away with the better prospect.

SI All-American had this to say about the Clemson commit at the Elite-11 held just over a week ago.

"Vizzina is one of the more technically-sound quarterbacks and works well within his frame and his mechanics. This and his anticipation for throwing windows allow for great accuracy and velocity put into throws within the middle of the field. He’ll want to work on his passes outside of the numbers as they can get a bit too much air underneath them, but passes between the seams, specifically deep ones, are a thing of beauty." 

Whether or not Clemson really came away with the better quarterback won't be known for quite some time. It's a subjective argument and both players still have another year of high school before their collegiate careers begin. Both have their strengths and both have areas in which they still need to improve upon.

However, there is a legitimate argument to be made that Arch's last name has benefitted him at least a little in the rankings. Then there are also those who believe that even with the last name, he's still ranked a little on the high side.

"High three-star with the last name Smith," Farrell said. "Throw in the Manning name you get to a four-star. I'm not sure if you get to five though." 

The Tigers, who went 10-3 in 2021 and finished 14th in the final Associated Press Poll, are the fourth team on FanDuel Sportsbook's list to win it all in 2022. Only reigning national champ Georgia (+200), runner-up Alabama (+200) and Ohio State (+800) are ahead of Clemson at +1000.

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