Georgia football has changed since the last time Arch Manning visited Athens

ATHENS — While Saturday might be the first time Arch Manning plays a game inside Sanford Stadium, it will not be his first trip to the iconic stadium.

Manning was a major recruiting target for Georgia as a 2023 prospect. So much so that after failing to land the 5-star quarterback from New Orleans, Georgia ended up not signing a quarterback in the class.

“He can do it all. He can run the ball, he can throw the ball,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said this week of Manning. “In this day and age, you’ve got to have a quarterback that can do both. He can, and I think he’s got great composure. You know, He’s not really affected by not many things, even the way he’s managed the hype and expectations of what he was supposed to be this year.”

Manning ultimately signed with Texas to play for Steve Sarkisian. But it wasn’t without a valiant effort from Smart and his staff to try to land Manning. Georgia, along with Texas and Alabama, was one of the finalists to land Manning.

According to Seth Wickersham’s book, “American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback,” some in Manning’s family preferred him to end up in Athens because they knew Smart would coach Manning hard. Manning visited Georgia four times during his recruitment, including for a 2021 game between South Carolina and Georgia.

“It really wasn’t about the celebrity nature or the last name,” Smart said. “It was about the tape. You know, I have a good relationship with their family. I’ve known his dad for a while, his uncle for a long time, and his grandfather. They’ve got a wonderful family, but it has nothing to do with his recruitment.”

It was a different time for the Bulldogs, as they had not yet won back-to-back national championships. Georgia was just weeks removed from a 10-3 win over the Clemson Tigers, a defensive master class from what would be a legendary defense.

The offense, meanwhile, had yet to look like the best version of itself. The starting quarterback for the game Manning came to visit was not Stetson Bennett but JT Daniels. He returned to the lineup after missing Georgia’s game against Alabama-Birmingham.

Daniels showed what a former 5-star quarterback could do at Georgia to open the South Carolina game, leading the Bulldogs to touchdowns on their first two drives of the game.

But on Georgia’s third drive, Daniels did not take the field. Instead, it was Bennett’s turn to run the offense. He threw for five touchdowns in Daniels’ absence against UAB and Smart believed Bennett had practiced well enough to earn first team reps.

However, Bennett did not play as well as Daniels that day. Bennett’s first pass attempt was intercepted, with boos ringing down from the Sanford Stadium crowd.

Daniels returned to the field on the ensuing drive, which would end in a punt. But on the fourth drive, Daniels led Georgia on a 90-yard touchdown drive. The Georgia quarterback found AD Mitchell for a 38-yard touchdown strike.

After scoring, Mitchell ran toward the seated recruits and give Manning a high-five, a freshman wide receiver interacting with one of the top quarterback prospects in the country.

Georgia would go on to win the game 40-13, as Daniels threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns.

It would be the only time Manning would see Georgia play a game before committing to Texas. It was also the last great game for Daniels. He would pick up another injury in Georgia’s win against Vanderbilt the following week. The South Carolina game was the only time in 2021 that Daniels threw for more than 150 yards in a game.

Bennett took over for Daniels and never looked back. Despite some up-and-down moments, Bennett capped off the 2021 season by leading Georgia to a national championship. His most important throw came on a 40-yard heave to Mitchell for the go-ahead score in the national championship game against Alabama.

Mitchell did end up playing with Manning, but not for the Bulldogs. He would end up transferring to Texas for the 2023 season, Manning’s first in Austin. Mitchell now is a New York Jet.

Manning took an official visit to Athens in June 2022. But just a few weeks later, Manning announced his commitment to the Longhorns.