That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it to try.

Arch Manning, the grandson of Archie, son of Cooper and nephews to Peyton and Eli, has stood out among recruiting boards for several years simply because of his last name. He has shown on the field he is deserving of that attention, and now that his senior year of high school is approaching — and his highly anticipated college decision is made — the hype surrounding the next great Manning quarterback is bound to reach unprecedented levels.

With that, The Sporting News looks Arch Manning’s standing in the 2023 recruiting class, where he ranks on the all-time recruiting board and even how he compares to uncles Peyton and Eli:

MORE: How Arch Manning can match Archie, Peyton and Eli’s opening acts in college

Arch Manning recruiting ranking

Manning isn’t just the consensus No. 1 player in the country. He’s unanimous atop among the industry’s top recruit ranking services (247Sports, On3, Rivals and ESPN).

Moreover, 247Sports’ Composite rankings — a consensus tabulation of where recruits rank among the major services in a given year — lists Manning as having a 1.000 rating. That makes him just one of seven such players to achieve a “perfect” score, alongside the following players:

QB Quinn Ewers WDE Jadeveon Clowney SDE Robert Nkemdiche DT Rashan Gary QB Vince Young ILB Ernie Sims

If Manning’s rating remains at 1.000 throughout his recruitment, he would become tied as one of the top six recruits 247Sports Composite’s all-time recruiting board. Multiple recruits from previous classes have been rated higher than Manning on both On3 and ESPN’s sites. That said, his position and rating on recruiting boards will remain in flux until after the completion of the 2023 recruiting period.

MORE: When is Arch Manning eligible for the NFL Draft?

Arch Manning scouting reports

247Sports

Evaluation courtesy of 247Sports’ Gabe Brooks

On3

ESPN

Evaluation courtesy of Tom Luginbill (ESPN+ exclusive)

Appears to have good pocket awareness/presence and the ability to extend plays with his feet. Has enough mobility as a runner to have to respect him in situational down and distance areas. Exhibits clean feet in the pocket while demonstrating good foot quickness and play tempo in his drop.

Displays excellent arm talent, showing the ability to make every throw on the field within the pocket. Shows the ability to drive the ball down the field and play with velocity. Excels as an intermediate passer, displaying the ability to consistently deliver the ball accurately and on time while playing with anticipation. Throws an exceptional deep ball, flashing outstanding touch and ball placement allowing him to throw his receivers open.

Can play rushed under duress at times, affecting his accuracy in decision making in the short to intermediate part of the field. Will need to continue to improve on making the ‘right’ decision when facing pressure, as he can force himself into making unnecessary passes when his clock is sped up.

In addition to possessing all the physical tools desired at the quarterback position, Manning plays the game with exceptional intuition and awareness, showing the ability to command and navigate the game at a very high level. Entering his fourth season as a starter as a senior at Newman, Manning figures to be prepared to make an immediate impact at the next level. Projects as an All-American prospect at the next level with the potential to have his name be one of the first called in the NFL Draft.

MORE: How No. 1 QB recruits have fared since 2012

Comparing Arch Manning to Peyton, Eli

Is it fair to compare a rising high school senior to players who have achieved All-American status, gone No. 1 overall and won multiple Super Bowls in the NFL? No, it certainly isn’t. But it comes with the territory of having the “Manning” last name — especially when you’re related to Peyton and Eli.

Besides, it appears as if Arch Manning is already comparing favorably to his uncles, and that’s not even accounting for the fact he has them to help in his development. Here’s how he currently compares to them in terms of their height and weight in the NFL:

Arch Manning has already accomplished something that neither of his uncles were able to: He became a Day 1 starter at Isidore Newman High School, a private institution in New Orleans. Neither Peyton nor Eli were able to accomplish that feat, per a 2021 ESPN report from Mark Schlabach — they were on the junior varsity team as freshmen, and became starters as sophomores.

As if that wasn’t enough to create an unstoppable hype train, consider the assessment of Archie Manning, himself a folk hero both at Ole Miss and with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints. The patriarch of the Manning family told the Indianapolis Star in 2019 that Arch “probably a little ahead of them as a freshman.”

“(Arch is) playing good, he’s on a good team, they’re having a lot of success and having a lot of fun and that’s the way it should be,” Manning told the Star. “That’s the one thing I always told my kids and I’ll tell Arch the day before a game. ‘Go have fun.’”