Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers have very different NFL paths, plus Bill Belichick drama
Today in college football news, I finished a large order of Five Guys fries. I feel so fortified for the coming winter. Summer's next, you say? Yeah, that's how fortifying it was.
In 2021, Texas high schooler Quinn Ewers was one of the highest-rated quarterback recruits ever. Right now, 247Sports still lists his teenage self as tied with Vince Young and others at No. 13 on the all-time prospects list, right ahead of names like Travis Hunter, Adrian Peterson and … Arch Manning.
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Ewers transferred to Texas (after first becoming a bit of an NIL pioneer at Ohio State), where the younger Manning mostly sat on the bench. Their storylines were publicly intertwined during their two years in the Longhorns' QB room, where Ewers even played along with jokes in commercials about having a Manning nephew as a backup, one of the most tantalizing backups ever.
Imagine being possibly the most-hyped QB recruit ever (at the time), but then being immediately overshadowed by the guy right behind you. I bet that sucks!
After last weekend's NFL Draft, their trajectories are about as different as could be. In some ways, this feels like a fresh reset, even if Ewers' path has gotten more treacherous:
Elsewhere in draft stuff:
Since I know you mostly just wanna see that 2026 mock draft, here it is again. I won't tell anybody you clicked on a forecast for an entire year from now.
🌀 That's a wrap for the spring portal window. Sam Khan Jr. runs through the three biggest things to know, including a QB carousel recap.
📺 The Pac-2 has a new broadcast deal with CBS, ESPN and — most prestigiously, in my opinion — The CW, home of numerous shows about Batman's children, if I recall correctly.
💰 Still no big resolutions in either House v. NCAA or the College Football Playoff v. itself.
Bill Belichick is the 73-year-old head coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels football team. Jordon Hudson is a 24-year-old college grad who seemingly works as his professional manager in some capacity — emails reveal she takes an active role in the Belichick brand at UNC — and also is his girlfriend.
I would be completely fine with knowing no more information about their relationship beyond that. It doesn't even rise to the level of Trying To Respect Their Privacy. I would simply give a thumbs up to the idea of having ignorance about them. I didn't spend a lot of time prying for personal details about Nick Saban and Miss Terry when she was a widely beloved football celebrity, for instance.
Except Belichick-Hudson continues to be a storyline that is constantly asking me both to ignore it (acceptable) and to care about it (no thank you). She was in a Super Bowl commercial with him, and, this past weekend, she appeared in a 'CBS Sunday Morning' interview as something like his PR handler. (If Belichick didn't want her to be a public figure, he could ask her to be less visible on the field during UNC's spring football, right? He's the head coach!)
The awkward moment: When Belichick was asked how he met Hudson, the person who publicly oversees parts of his work life and was literally on camera at that moment, she shut the question down, saying, 'We're not talking about this.'
Great! I don't care either! Except this has been known for a while now. They met on a flight a few years ago, something she's even posted about. Great! Case closed! Right? Please?
I hope this goes great for everyone, and I will not complain if we indeed are 'not talking about this.' But yes, the most surreal part of the whole thing is that Bill freaking Belichick, the NFL's bluntest and most football-obsessed coach, has elected to take part in one of the most chattered-about off-field dramas in all of sports.
(I gotta be honest, though. Belichick aligning himself with somebody who has even less patience than he does for media questions? That part's really impressive.)
OK, that's all for today. Email me at untilsaturday@theathletic.com with any thoughts!
Last week's most-clicked: Why are so many former top-100 recruits hitting the transfer portal so quickly?
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LSU Tigers Led by head coach Brian Kelly, LSU is coming off a 9-4 overall season (5-3 in SEC), the Tigers first with less than double-digit wins since 2021. The Tigers will be back as a SEC contender yet again this fall, featuring a talented roster that is headlined by quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. LSU is set to open the season Saturday, Aug. 30, in a high-profile Top 10 road trip at Clemson, one of the SEC's biggest Week 1 matchups. 3. Alabama Crimson Tide Alabama enters year two of the Kalen DeBoer era coming off a down 2024 campaign in which the Crimson Tide had a 9-4 overall record (5-3 in SEC), the program's first non double-digit win season since 2007. The Crimson Tide will see a new quarterback this fall in Ty Simpson, who leads a team that also returns Ryan Williams and Kadyn Proctor, among others. On Saturday, Aug. 30, Alabama will travel to Florida State for one of the SEC's biggest Week 1 matchups. 2. Georgia Bulldogs Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs made the College Football Playoff a year ago at 11-3 overall (6-2 in SEC), the program's fourth consecutive double-digit win season. The Bulldogs will be back among the SEC's elite in 2025, led by a roster that returns a talented defense led by CJ Allen and KJ Bolden, among others. Georgia will play Marshall at home during Week 1 on Saturday, Aug. 30. 1. Texas Longhorns Steve Sarkisian and Texas had a memorable first season as part of the SEC, making the College Football Playoff at 13-3 overall (7-1 in SEC), the program's highest win total since 2009. The Longhorns are a preseason pick to make it back to the SEC Championship Game once again this fall, led by a roster featuring Arch Manning and Anthony Hill Jr., among others. Texas will open the season in college football's biggest Week 1 game, a top five road matchup at defending national Ohio State on Saturday, Aug. 30. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
