Like the rest of the recruiting world, wide receiver Jalen Hale took notice when Arch Manning committed to Texas last week. Hale had always had Texas floating around on his list, but with Manning now officially on board for the Longhorns, Hale says it makes Texas a more attractive option.

“It made me look at them even more. Arch, that’s a good quarterback,” Hale said. “He’s going to throw the ball and coach Sark is going to get you the ball in his offense. That’s what I’m looking at.”

A Rivals100 member out of Longview, Hale has taken official visits to both Georgia and Southern Cal. He says he’ll take his other three visits to Texas, Texas A&M and Alabama. The Bulldogs and Trojans currently sit atop his list because he’s been able to see those two programs up close during his official visits, but Hale said the Longhorns are definitely in the mix and Texas could have a chance to shake up that list as he finishes up his visits in the fall.

“Until I go back out there, I really won’t know. But they’re top three for sure,” Hale said of Texas.

Both Georgia and USC did a good job of impressing Hale when they had him on visits. The Bulldogs got the first crack at him on the first weekend of June and Hale said there was a lot to like about that visit.

“The highlights, they’ve got AD Mitchell at receiver, but really what I’m getting told, if I come in and compete I could play as a freshman. Really it’s the same thing everywhere, as long as I come in and compete,” Hale said. “At Georgia, what really stood out the most was the coaching staff, the players. Everything about the school. I just enjoyed it there.”

Southern Cal hosted Hale for a visit two weeks after the Georgia trip, and Hale has taken notice of USC’s recruiting success in the 2023 class.

“It’s Cali, so it’s a good area. I enjoyed it out there. It’s the same thing with them, it’s the coaching staff, the players,” Hale said. “Then you know they’ve got Zachariah Branch, Malachi Nelson committed. That’s another thing I look at.”

A four-star prospect, Hale ranks No. 75 on the Rivals100. He’s the nation’s 13th-ranked receiver prospect and is the No. 13-ranked player in the state of Texas. He says he has no firm deadline for a decision.