How has Texas QB Arch Manning looked so far in Longhorns spring practice?
Manning's leadership abilities have already been discussed this spring. On Off the Edge with Cam Jordan, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian praised Manning's leadership, "I think we've got a quarterback in Arch, and I think we got a great leader who does things the right way, but I think he's also surrounded by a really talented football team."
Sark says despite Manning's fame, he stays grounded through his work ethic and teamwork. 'From the day he arrived, there's been a real sense of humility about him,' Sarkisian told KXAN-TV reporter Noah Gross. 'If you didn't know the last name, you didn't know the face and you just looked at the body of work and the teammate that he is … I just continue to see a guy who has taken it and trying to really go for it.'
Advertisement
On the field, writers that cover Texas daily have been impressed with Manning's arm and general demeanor. Anwar Richardson of OrangeBloods.com says Manning looks like a seasoned vet. "Arch Manning looked the part on Day 1. He looked like a veteran," Richardson said. "He looked like it wasn't his first rodeo. And as we know, it's not his first rodeo because he got two starts last season. Throwing the deep ball he looked fantastic. He had an amazing over-the-shoulder pass to Ryan Wingo. He threw the short routes especially well. Had a nice pass I saw to freshman Daylon McCutcheon."
Sarkisian has raved this spring about Manning's maturation process. "All those natural things that a quarterback has to do to instill belief in his teammates, to instill belief in the staff, he's doing it," Sark said. "But more importantly, for him, which I love, he's having fun doing it, and doesn't feel like he's working this. He's playing the game of football. He's being a great teammate."
According to David Eckert of the Austin American-Statesman, Manning has lost a little bit of weight. "Manning, notably, took three pounds off his frame after playing at 225 pounds in 2024, according to an updated roster provided to the media," Eckert said. "He wasn't perfect with his throws Tuesday but showed every bit of the arm talent that has him rated among the top candidates to win the Heisman Trophy in 2025."
Manning will continue to prepare for the upcoming season on the Texas practice fields for another couple weeks this spring as the Longhorns prepare for their Aug. 30 opener at Ohio State in the Horseshoe.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Arch Manning Report: How has Texas' new starting QB looked in spring?
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
16 minutes ago
- USA Today
Do preseason award watch lists help your NFL Draft stock?
It starts around the same time that college football media days begin. It ends right about the same time that game previews for week zero get published. We're talking about college football preseason award watch list season. Every mid-July, these press releases proliferate, and they circulate every single business day until mid-August. On one hand, they're kind of meaningless and pointless. Yet on the other hand, they serve a lot of different interests, and they serve them well. Making a preseason award watch list is the football equivalent of declaring your college major as "Pre-Law" or "Pre-Med." It's not an accomplishment, it's a statement of intent. Just when the annual summer lull in the sports calendar reaches its most unbearable point, they start showing up. Various organizations and committees comprise them, and then soon blast them out in press releases. Sports Information Directors, at their least busy point of the entire year, then post them on social media and blast 'em out in mass emails. From there, the laziest and least creative of media outlets then recycle them; sometimes even verbatim! And that is the growth/life cycle of an award watch list. They give people who want to talk about college football year round, something to do and say at the time of the year when we all miss college football the most. So they do inspire content for creators (the quality of which is debatable) and generate favorable media coverage for college football programs. But do they do actually do anything for individual players? Results may vary. The Doak Walker award, given to the nation's top running back, has 102 names on its watch list this summer. There are only 135 teams in FBS. So basically, if you are expected to carry the football in a 2025 college football game, congratulations! You are ON THE LIST! Yes, this is the NCAA version of a participation trophy. However, making a shorter list, like say the Manning award, which only has 27 names on it, is obviously much more prestigious. Fun fact: the most hyped up player in college football, this Texas fella named Arch Manning, did not make the Manning award watch list. To quote French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire: 'The Holy Roman Empire was neither Holy nor Roman, nor an Empire.' And if you're somebody who is trying to get on the national radar, award watch lists certainly help. Yes, your play will determine how far you move up the prospect rankings, but you still need to get on the map, somehow, someway, to begin with. They don't matter too much to the players that we already know are very elite, like say Illinois cornerback Xavier Scott. Or for guys like Justice Haynes, who play a glamor position (running back) for a blue blood (Michigan) after having done so at another blue blood (Alabama) However, if you're obscure and/or unproven, award watch lists are definitely your friend. From there, you can let your performances and results do the talking, and then you can impress at Pro Day or combine and then go from there.
USA Today
16 minutes ago
- USA Today
6 fantasy studs of the 2025 NFL preseason and whether they'll matter
The NFL preseason is overreaction time. When else can you get irrationally excited about a fifth string running back set to toil through the games that actually matter on the practice squad? Each August, the league presents us with the Velveeta of football -- not quite the real thing and occasionally disturbing, but good enough to get by in a pinch. These exhibitions rarely feature stars or even starters for long. Injury risk and the need to sort out a 53-man roster means we see plenty of young, hungry players looking to make their mark on Sundays. A few will. Others will be relegated to folk hero status before swapping out a wide range of practice jerseys over a few undistinguished years. Sometimes it's easy to figure out the difference between the two. Other times, a player who shines early never catches that luster again. Let's take a look at some of Week 2's biggest performers in the 2025 NFL preseason and where they land -- and whether or not these big August performances could pay off in your fantasy league. QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears Williams may be in the midst of a remarkable Year 2 glow-up. Former head coach Matt Eberflus spend three seasons proving he had no idea how to nurture a young, skilled dual-threat quarterback. In his place is Ben Johnson, who revived Jared Goff into an MVP candidate as offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions. Goff and Williams have differing skillsets, but Goff's biggest strength as a Lion is fast processing and on-time deliveries to open windows -- something decidedly lacking from Williams' rookie year. Well, good news about that: Williams looked like the Heisman Trophy winner he once was in a game-opening 92-yard touchdown drive capped by a 36-year Olamide Zaccheaus catch-and-run. In fairness, backups Tyson Bagent and Austin Reed also carved up a deficient Buffalo Bills defense to the point where Bills head coach Sean McDermott seemed appalled. But after a season where Williams showcased many of the same flaws that derailed Justin Fields -- too many sacks (nearly 11 percent of his dropbacks), an eagerness to ditch designed plays under relatively minor threats of pressure, iffy processing -- this was a step forward. With a proven offensive mind at the helm and a lineup of explosive skill players, Williams could thrive in year two. Will it matter for my fantasy team? Absolutely. Williams' mobility is a fantasy plus, but while his 51 scrambles were second-most in the NFL it resulted in a modest rushing total (489 yards) and zero touchdowns. If he can tamp down that flight instinct and stand in the pocket it would not just boost his passing numbers but create more space for well-timed escapes from pressure. RB Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks Charbonnet finished Week 2 with only 45 yards, but that came on five carries and included a too-easy 15 yard touchdown run against a smattering of Kansas City Chiefs starters. With Kenneth Walker III out due to injury, Charbonnet stepped into the void and powered Sam Darnold's offense. All five of his carries came on the game's first drive. None ended with fewer than four yards, ripping off a 100 percent success rate across that small sample size. Will it matter for my fantasy team? Yes. Charbonnet remains in a timeshare with Walker in Seattle, he's made the case to absorb a larger workload after thriving this preseason. Walker's efficiency has waned the last two seasons after an explosive rookie debut. After producing 103 rushing yards over expected (RYOE) in 2022 he's languished in the negatives each of the previous two seasons. Iffy blocking played a role, but Charbonnet still found ways to thrive in stretches last fall (a career-high 73 RYOE). Charbonnet put up some big performances in Walker's absence. He also had a handful of clunkers. Stability may be within reach in his age 24 season -- especially with Grey Zabel looking like a full-time answer along the interior line. WR Isaac TeSlaa, Detroit Lions TeSlaa came to the NFL as a project. The former Division II star brought crazy measurables to the 2025 NFL Draft but modest high level production. He had 62 catches in two seasons after transferring to Arkansas but still managed to float up to the third round in a league that values inexpensive wideout production more than ever before. He's taken full advantage of the snaps provided this preseason -- and the Lions' questionable fortune of drawing the Hall of Fame game in Week 0. In three contests he's got eight catches, 105 yards and two touchdowns. This back-shoulder adjustment on a well-placed Kyle Allen lob? That doesn't look like a player still getting his bearings as an NFL wideout: TeSlaa has impressive size (6-foot-3) and speed (4.4-second 40) in an offense that scored more points than anyone else in 2024. Per The Athletic's Nick Baumgartner, he's developing a rapport with Jared Goff matched only by the Lions' *other* Pro Bowl targets. Will it matter for my fantasy team? Every now and then, probably. TeSlaa isn't just fighting against a steep learning curve. He's landed in a beneficial spot, but he's also at the bottom of a pecking order that also includes Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta. His size helps set him apart, but the Lions also have Tim Patrick to provide a big, beefy blocker and possession receiver toward the sideline. Factor in Detroit breaking in a new offensive coordinator and there could be some hiccups along the way. TeSlaa seems destined to contribute as a rookie, but he's headed for the "sleeper" pile as a player who can occasionally devastate with big games but also disappear for stretches. TE Gunnar Helm, Tennessee Titans Helm has made his mark as a rookie fourth round pick. The seventh tight end selected this spring had a big performance in Week 2; four catches, 48 yards and one impressive touchdown catch through double coverage to cap an impressive first half against the Atlanta Falcons. Helm has a well-rounded skill set and the chops to push incumbent Chig Okonkwo for starting snaps. He has the speed and size to create mismatches up the seam, but also the awareness of where to settle in zone coverage to exploit holes. So how will that translate when the games actually matter? Will it matter for my fantasy team? Probably not. Helm is facing the same tricky adjustment that limits most college tight ends in their NFL debuts. He's also working off a limited college resume. 2024 was the only season in which he had more than 14 catches in four years at Texas. On top of that, head coach Brian Callahan doesn't have much love for his tight ends. He spent five seasons as Cincinnati Bengals' offensive coordinator. Not once did he have a tight end with more than 500 receiving yards. In two separate seasons he didn't have one clear 400 yards. Okonkwo finished 2024 as the Titans' TE1 and averaged four targets and fewer than 30 receiving yards per game. WR Efton Chism III, New England Patriots No player in the NFL has more catches this preseason than Chism's 12. After a six catch, 50 yard, one touchdown day in his preseason debut, the undrafted rookie came back for six, 71 and another score in Week 2. The former Eastern Washington star is undersized (5-foot-10) and comparatively slow (4.71-second 40 speed), but has spent the preseason finding holes in coverage and, importantly, finishing catches through contact and showcasing elusive run-after-catch ability. The natural overreaction would be to compare Chism to another 5-foot-10, small school standout who was roundly overlooked at the draft. Chism has a long way to go before he can earn Julian Edelman praise, but the early returns are promising at the very least. Will it matter for my fantasy team? Probably not, but you can't rule out anything stupid when it comes to Patriots' wideouts. Chism was a priority addition for the Pats, securing one of the team's largest bonuses for an undrafted free agent. He gets to play for a dynamic young quarterback looking to leave his mark on the NFL in Drake Maye. He plays for a roster in dire need of receiving talent. But there's also a logjam among supporting wideouts in Foxborough. Demario Douglas takes most of his snaps from the slot, which is Chism's most natural position. Stefon Diggs has arrived to be the team's WR1, but Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte and a healthy Kendrick Bourne can compete for snaps further down Maye's wish list. Kyle Williams was a top 70 pick in this year's draft and will get the chance to fulfill that potential. 2024 draft picks Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, woeful as rookies, are competing for roster spots as well. And that's not everyone! Chism may have worked his way onto the roster, but working his way into regular targets is another uphill battle. WR Theo Wease Jr., Miami Dolphins It's possible no one had a better preseason week than Wease, who turned nine targets from Zach Wilson and Quinn Ewers into six catches, 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The undrafted rookie was a non-factor in Miami's opener, but has risen to exhibition prominence as a big body in a wideout room led by 5-foot-10 Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Wease is still fighting an uphill battle to make the active roster, but his solid performance may have given him enough name recognition that the Dolphins don't risk hoping he'll slide through to their practice squad. He has solid top-line speed, and while his acceleration was iffy enough to leave him without suitors at this year's draft, his crisp routes and ability to adjust to a ball in flight could carve out a spot for him in Miami. Will it matter for my fantasy team? Nah. He could find a place on the roster as a developmental possession receiver with some over-the-top skills. However, it's tough to see him being more than a WR4 type in Mike McDaniel's offense without some injuries at the top of the card.
NBC Sports
18 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Kansas Jayhawks' new stadium symbolizes program's resurgence, though work on both still remains
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The construction cranes that have been working on a new stadium for the Kansas Jayhawks the past two years might just as well be emblematic of the program as a whole. No longer a downtrodden eyesore, the Jayhawks are suddenly competitive again, even if they remain a work in progress. Just like the stadium. The vast majority of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium has been finished, including the east side and end zones, though the west side stands from the old facility will remain until the next offseason. In much the same way, the Jayhawks have become Big 12 contenders under Lance Leipold, though they showed during a 5-7 finish last year that they are still building. 'As we come into this stadium,' Leipold said ahead of the opener against Fresno State, 'we need our fanbase to be there as well, to truly make it impactful. We need people there to do it. 'Now, on the flip side, it's our responsibility to play a brand — a style — of effective football that people want to come and see,' Leipold continued, 'and create a game-day environment that is special, that people want to partake in.' After back-to-back bowl games, and going 9-4 two years ago, Kansas slid a bit last year, a season of high expectations that was sullied by a spectacularly poor start. The Jayhawks lost five of their first six games while playing home games at Children's Mercy Park, the home of MLS club Sporting Kansas City, and Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the Kansas City Chiefs — which is just across the state line in Missouri, adding to the homeless feeling Kansas no doubt felt. But the Jayhawks finished with a flurry, beating ranked foes Iowa State, Colorado and BYU in consecutive weeks. And while they failed to make a bowl game, they have not only confidence but momentum as they head into a new season. 'This program is now relevant,' Leipold said. The Jayhawks have a stadium to reflect it, too. JD6 is back Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels has been labeled a Heisman Trophy candidate and a bust, a spectacular athlete who is capable of doing just about anything and an injury-prone QB who struggles with his decision-making. The reality is probably somewhere in between, but one thing is certain: If Daniels has a big final season in Lawrence, so will the Jayhawks. Running back room Daniel Hishaw Jr. is first in line to replace Devin Neal, the school's departed career rushing record-holder, but he has dealt with injuries throughout his career. Iowa transfer Leshon Williams, who only played three games last season because of his own injury troubles, also will get plenty of reps in the backfield. What about the wideouts One of the big unknowns in Lawrence is who will replace the top four wide receivers from last year. Alabama transfer Emmanuel Henderson Jr. and Albany transfer Levi Wentz have gotten rave reviews from Kansas wide receivers coach Terrence Samuel, while Columbia transfer Bryson Canty and Ball State transfer Cam Pickett could start games as well. Coaching turnover Jim Zebrowski was promoted to offensive coordinator after Jeff Grimes left for the same job at Wisconsin, while D.K. McDonald has taken over the defense following the retirement of longtime coordinator Brian Borland. Schedule situation After opening with Fresno State and Wagner, the Jayhawks head to Missouri for a matchup with their most bitter rival. If they get through those three games, their first two Big 12 games against West Virginia and Cincinnati are at home. There are road trips to Texas Tech and Iowa State on the schedule but the Jayhawks host rival Kansas State on Oct. 25.
