Arch Manning Even Has Nick Saban Showing Up to His Basketball Games

I was rooting hard for Alabama in the national championship game for two reasons. Firstly, I didn't want Georgia to get the four-decade title drought monkey off its back, which it obviously did. But more importantly, I was clinging to some hope that maybe if Nick Saban could get one more ring, he'd ride off into the sunset having won two straight national titles to end his career.

Instead, this man is going to high school basketball games two weeks later for a kid in the 2023 class. He ain't going anywhere. He's going to be the head coach at Alabama until the day he dies, which we can reasonably expect to be about 2057.

There's a recruit or two every few years that are always labeled as "can't-miss" and things of that nature, but Saban going to a high school basketball game two weeks before National Signing Day for a player that isn't even in this year's class should tell you all you need to know about Arch Manning. He's going to be a monster.

We've seen Lane Kiffin pull out all the tricks for him on social media. Ole Miss painted "Manning" in the end zones for a game Arch just so happened to be attending — the official reason was Eli's jersey retirement, but you're a dullard if you think that's the only reason they painted that name on the field in giant letters. Now Saban is taking flights to go to high school basketball games after having already not-so-subtly going after Arch on the Manningcast earlier this season. Everyone wants this kid desperately.

Saban even appeared to sign at least one autograph for somebody before he made his way up onto whatever perch he was on so nobody could speak to him. What a guy.