LSU Football can’t forget about elite 2023 in-state QB not named Arch Manning
By Zach Ragan
LSU football‘s biggest recruiting target in the 2023 class is undoubtedly five-star quarterback Arch Manning.
Manning, the grandson of former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning, and the nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, is the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class.
The New Orleans native, who has significant family connections to Ole Miss and Tennessee, is the No. 4 overall 2023 recruit in the country.
Manning is going to be the most coveted player in the 2023 recruiting class thanks to his elite skills and a famous last name.
While I think LSU has a really good shot to land Manning, the Tigers have to be prepared to miss on the stud quarterback. Manning is going to do his due diligence. He won’t be making a snap decision.
When Arch’s uncle, Peyton Manning, committed to Tennessee in the early ’90s, it was a surprise (most of the Manning family attended Ole Miss). I’d expect Arch to also surprise some folks. There’s a legitimate chance that Arch ends up outside the SEC at somewhere like USC or Texas.
If LSU misses on Manning, they better have another quarterback option ready to go.
Fortunately for Ed Orgeron and his staff, there’s a great in-state option that isn’t receiving much national attention right now.
The 2023 QB that LSU football needs to keep an eye on
Four-star quarterback Eli Holstein, 6-foot-3/212 lbs, is from Zachary, LA. He’s rated in 247Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 6 pro-style quarterback in the country and the No. 7 player in Louisiana.
Holstein is listed as a pro-style quarterback, but he has plenty of athleticism.
The Louisiana native runs the 40-yard dash in 4.69 seconds. He also has an impressive 38 inch vertical.
Holstein grew up cheering for the Tigers, which is why the offer from LSU last year meant so much to the talented quarterback.
“I’ve grown up an LSU fan and always cheered for the Tigers, growing up going to games,” said Holstein last summer to Rivals. “My dad went to LSU and was a team captain. My mom went to LSU. Pretty much everybody in my family went to LSU.”
It’s hard to see Holstein signing with the Tigers if LSU also happens to land Arch Manning.
This is a tricky situation for the Tigers. LSU obviously needs to go all-in on Arch, but they don’t want to risk pushing Holstein away. The Tigers need to recruit him as if he’s the only quarterback the program is recruiting. That will be tough, as Manning’s recruitment will likely be highly publicized in the coming months.
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LSU doesn’t currently have any players committed to its 2023 recruiting class.