Arch Manning no longer sits atop the list of ESPN recruits in the Class of 2023.

Just one month after sending shockwaves through the college football world by committing to Texas, Manning is now surprising those at the high school level – though for a different reason.

ESPN bumped the young signal-caller down to the No. 2 spot on their recruitment rankings and crowned USC commit Malachi Nelson as the new consensus No. 1 overall recruit.

Nelson – a pro-style quarterback who plays out of Los Alamitos, California – earned the top spot due to a larger sample size than Manning, as well as his recent developments both physically and mentally, according to ESPN.

“In our multiple in-person evaluations this spring and summer, our biggest observation from Nelson has been the growth beyond physical maturity as we see a more seasoned leader,” the site read. “His abilities in game, as well as his performances at camps and combines, make us confident he is now the No. 1 quarterback in the class.”

Manning still possesses the title of top overall recruit for the class of 2023 on 247 Sports, On3 and Rivals’ lists. The 6-foot-4, 205 pound signal-caller has been considered the top recruit on all national recruiting services for several years, and is one of the most hyped quarterbacks ever coming out of high school.

Following Manning’s commitment announcement, the Isidore Newman product has faced even more scrutiny than before. Two weeks ago, Mike Farrell – the former national recruiting director at Rivals – argued Manning would only be a three-star prospect if he weren’t the nephew of Super Bowl winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning.  

“If his name was Arch Smith, I think he’d probably be a high three-star quarterback,” Farrell said on the Crain and Company podcast.

Farrell additionally claimed Manning has shown little progression since his freshman year and falters under pressure.

“When he has had to step up against other competition, especially in the playoff game where he looked awful, it just hasn’t translated,” Farrell said. “Every time I watch other quarterbacks in this class, it knocks Arch down in my head.”

Manning threw for 1,913 yards and 26 touchdowns to go alongside 381 yards and six scores on the ground during his junior year at Isidore Newman.