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USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Arch Manning: Preseason draft scouting report on the talented Texas QB
With only 90 passing attempts in 2024, it's tough to compile a full report, but Manning's small sample size lived up to the hype. This is a solidly good athlete at 6'4', 214 pounds, with good enough footwork and strength to shrug off pass rushers in the pocket. His willingness to step up and through traffic is impressive given how little he's played. As a passer, Manning was good, albeit mostly against lesser competition. His arm strength and aggressive nature immediately popped off in the film. He wasn't afraid of (very) tight window throws in the intermediate and deep areas, and his consistency got better the more he played. He's a consistently accurate thrower, and Manning may have the prettiest-looking deep ball in this year's class. When given time to operate, he effortlessly drives the ball downfield, and his arm strength doesn't drop off on the move. One of the more shocking aspects of Manning's game is his running ability. Unlike his uncles, he can run away from defenders with his speed. He shouldn't take unnecessary hits gaining extra yards, but Manning's legs are a legitimate part of his arsenal. In his limited playing time, his processing ability and decision-making were NFL-caliber. Most of his production came against Colorado State, Louisiana-Monroe, UTSA, and Mississippi State. If Manning can be this effective against the SEC's powers, nothing will stop him from being QB1…unless he returns to school. Texas football will be exciting in 2025. Check out my full Arch Manning preseason report and grade on my Substack. More: Drew Allar: Summer scouting report for the Penn State quarterback
NBC Sports
16-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
‘This is what he's supposed to do': Arch Manning finally steps into the spotlight
Ahmed Fareed, Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry debate if the College Football Playoff should expand once again, discussing what went well in the first-ever 12-team playoff and what is concerning amid expansion talks. ATLANTA — Arch Manning's day started, as it always does, with a text from his grandfather. Archie, the patriarch of the first family of quarterbacks, texts all his grandkids every morning. A Bible verse, a motivational message, that sort of thing. Ahead of Arch's appearance at SEC media days here, he received this bit of advice: Keep it short and sweet, and be thoughtful. Oh, and Archie signed the text with his own name. Very much a grandpa move. When you have relatives like Arch does — his grandfather is a former NFL quarterback and College Football Hall of Famer, and both uncles, Peyton and Eli, won multiple Super Bowls — you've got a lot of avenues for advice if you need it. They're also the reason that the hype around Arch has reached a fever pitch in the months leading into the 2025 college football season, his first as the full-time starter for the Longhorns. Manning waited two years for this opportunity. He did something that's essentially unheard of as a five-star, can't-miss quarterback prospect in the 2020s — he sat on the bench for two seasons, backing up Quinn Ewers. Manning didn't enter the transfer portal. He didn't post cryptic tweets. He just worked hard to learn the offense, earning his teammates' trust and preparing him for when he had to fill in for Ewers when he was injured in the middle of last season. But, of course, the job was Ewers' when he was back and even when he was playing through pain, all the way through Texas' run to the national semifinals of the College Football Playoff. 'We've had those cold tub conversations where it's like, 'Dude, I just want to be the guy,' all that pent-up, I-want-to-be-the-guy emotions,' Texas safety Michael Taaffe said on my SiriusXM show on Tuesday. 'He gets to show it this year. It's going to be exciting.' The Man(ning) of the Hour is, indeed, ready. He gained valuable experience in his two starts last year, against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State, and his five-touchdown performance in relief of Ewers vs. UTSA. 'It was a little bit of the perfect storm last year,' Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. 'The first time he got put into action — Quinn hurts his oblique, it was against UTSA — and he gets thrown right in. And I was like, 'Screw it. We're calling kind of a movement, let him let it rip.' He throws a touchdown, bam. He plays the rest of that game as if he were a true backup getting put in.' Manning then spent the next two weeks preparing as the regular starter, getting 'a sense and feel for what that looked like,' per Sarkisian. And then he was forced to do the same even after Ewers' return, because Ewers was battling his ongoing oblique and high ankle injuries. Sarkisian said it was hard on Manning, who had to be ready each week down the stretch and into the CFP to take 70 snaps if necessary. Mentally, that required quite an effort. And then when Ewers started and took the lion's share of the snaps in the season's biggest moments, Manning still had to be ready to jump in at a moment's notice for various in-game packages designed for him. But those hard moments molded him into the quarterback he is now, ready to grab the reins of an offense that should be among the country's best — and to lead a team that expects to contend for a national championship. 'I just think he's ready,' Sarkisian said. 'It feels like this is what he's supposed to do.' Nicole Auerbach, Manning feels similarly. The 6-4 signal-caller has not wavered in his commitment to Texas, despite a crowded quarterback room. 'The biggest thing was Texas was where I wanted to be,' Manning said. 'I didn't want to go somewhere I didn't want to be, and I liked Texas. I liked the football program. I liked classes. I liked my friends outside of football. I liked the city of Austin. So it was going to take a lot for me to leave this place. I also knew I was developing as a backup. I was getting better, so that was big for me. I'm still getting better. I knew my time would come eventually.' And here he is, heading into Year 3 at the same place, in the same offensive system alongside one of the most creative playcallers in all of college football in Sarkisian. He's far more athletic (and faster) than his uncles were, which creates opportunities for designed quarterback runs as well. Expectations are understandably high; Manning, with all of two college starts to his name, is the preseason odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. For his part, Manning has handled all of the attention admirably. He's even-keeled and calm but also quick-witted and funny. He's won over teammates just like he wins over most rooms, Sarkisian said. 'People to kind of gravitate to him, and I don't think it's because of his last name,' Sarkisian said. 'I just think that that's his personality. That's coming out more. And the other side I've seen him grow along the same lines is — have you ever noticed that when he scores, the dude has, like, real swag? That's not fabricated. That it's coming out of him now, I love it. I know that's just him being free and being himself and playing a game.' As Manning has become more himself most of the time, he's also worked just as hard to earn his teammates' respect and grow as a leader. He feels like he needs to do that at every practice and in every meeting. Because although he's the most famous college football player in the country and certain pundits want to hand him the Heisman here in July, he hasn't actually achieved anything yet. So, he'll keep working. 'I have to continue to prove that I can move the ball forward and run the offense,' Manning said. 'You know, the rent's due every day. You've got to prove it each day.'
Chicago Tribune
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago Bears rookie outlook: CB Zah Frazier faces uphill battle for playing time — but it's not the 1st time
Length comes up a lot when talking about offensive and defensive linemen. NFL teams want tackles with long arms. The same is true for edge rushers, who have to battle with those long-armed offensive tackles. Bears general manager Ryan Poles has shown an affinity for drafting long-armed players at another position group: defensive back. He found another one when he selected Zah Frazier out of Texas-San Antonio in April in the fifth round (No. 169). Frazier's 32⅞-inch arms were the second-longest of any cornerback measured at the NFL scouting combine in February. Length alone won't land Frazier a spot on the team, but the Bears are optimistic he has the physical tools to develop into a quality NFL cornerback. Here's what Bears fans need to know about Frazier before rookies report for training camp July 19. Al Harris kept an eye on Frazier. The first-year Bears defensive backs coach joined Ben Johnson's staff after five years with the Dallas Cowboys. While Harris was in Dallas, a cornerback from UTSA caught his eye. When he took the job in Chicago, Harris wasted no time letting Poles know about the rangy Roadrunners corner. 'I actually got a text in February from Al Harris saying: 'Hey, there's this guy Zah Frazier. He's long. I think we can develop him as a press corner. I think we can get him in the fourth or fifth round,'' Poles said after drafting Frazier. That's exactly how it played out. Frazier brings his 6-foot-3 frame to a crowded cornerback room. But the Bears believe he has the tools to compete, even with Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson, Terell Smith and Josh Blackwell already pretty well-established on the roster. Like Frazier, Smith and Stevenson have arms longer than 32 inches. Frazier grew up in Cedartown, Ga., near the Alabama border. He wasn't rated by online recruiting services coming out of high school and initially went to Southern Illinois, playing in four games for the Salukis in 2019. He then transferred to Coffeyville Community College in Kansas and emerged as one of the top juco recruits in 2022. He initially committed to Kentucky before flipping to UTSA. With the Roadrunners, it was a long path to significant playing time. He played in 12 games in 2022 but wasn't a starter. UTSA cornerbacks coach Nick Graham had high expectations for Frazier's future, but he still had to prove himself. 'He just plain wasn't ready,' Graham said, 'and I don't like to put kids out there before they're ready, especially a kid who's out of juco.' The next season, an academic eligibility issue kept Frazier out until November. When he finally cracked the starting lineup in 2024, he had a breakout season, grabbing six interceptions and defending 15 passes in 12 games. Frazier already possessed an NFL-size frame, but adding that type of ball production probably cemented him as a potential draft pick. Cornerback wasn't a huge area of need, but NFL teams always need depth in the defensive backfield. The Bears return their entire starting secondary, so it will be an uphill battle for Frazier to find playing time as a rookie. But the Bears drafted him because they see a developmental corner whom they can work with. Frazier's 6-3 frame and 80-inch wingspan are huge pluses. If he can learn the playbook and understand NFL concepts, he could be the type of cornerback who excels two or three years down the road. Harris was a similar player coming out of Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1997. A sixth-round draft pick, Harris eventually developed into a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback and second-team All-Pro with the Green Bay Packers. 'It definitely boosts my confidence because I have a coach that has done it,' Frazier said. 'He is going to give me the game. I've just got to add it to my toolbox and just be ready to work every day.' Graham said scouts were telling him Frazier would have a shot in the NFL based solely off his measurables — like those long arms. But what NFL teams really wanted to see in his final year of college was an ability to create turnovers. 'So I had a conversation with him about it,' Graham said. 'We talked about it: You've got to start attacking the ball. That's the only way you're going to get drafted. Otherwise you're going to have to fight it the hard way. He took that to heart.' The six interceptions in 2024 easily could've been seven, eight or nine, Graham said. Graham had confidence that Frazier could've done it the hard way, fighting his way up as an undrafted rookie, but all those interceptions led to increased interest from NFL teams. Graham believes Harris might be the perfect position coach for Frazier. 'They're kind of similar,' he said. 'Big, strong guys that can run and don't mind getting physical. There's nobody better that he can learn from.' Frazier visited with the Bears at Halas Hall during the predraft process. That's where he began to build his relationship with Harris. From that day forward, the Bears were at the top of Frazier's wish list. 'Ever since I took my first top-30 visit here, it has been great,' he said. 'I told (Harris) when I was here, it felt like home here. It's great to be drafted by the team I wanted to be drafted by, so it's a blessing for me for sure.' The biggest adjustment for Frazier as a rookie will be learning NFL concepts and grasping the playbook. Graham believes Frazier won't be afraid to compete. That's what he had to do in order to see the field at UTSA. He worked his way up over the course of his time there. In a crowded Bears secondary, he'll have to do the same. 'He understands there are guys on that (Bears) roster like — they're playing,' Graham said. 'But the ones where it's a question, you've got to go. You've got to look better every day. You know what that takes: studying, taking care of your body, sleeping. He understands that stuff.' If Frazier is going to earn playing time as a rookie, he'll have to beat out a more experienced cornerback ahead of him on the depth chart.
New York Times
11-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
EA Sports College Football 26: Best strategies, tips and tricks to win
The first college football video game in 11 years was a hit for casual and competitive fans a year ago. So what about EA Sports' College Football 26? Our Chris Vannini reviewed the newest edition of the game on Thursday to help you decide whether to buy it. A lot has changed on the field and in the various modes, and I've spent a lot of time on the game this week focusing on strategy for a follow-up to last year's gameplay guide. Advertisement Here are my eight tips for how to get acclimated quickly — and win: Last year, I emphasized running the ball when you're on the road, but it was still difficult at times — especially if you were a small school trying to take down a national power. My 46 rushing yards with UTSA in a Playoff loss to Georgia was evidence enough that it's still difficult to run against the nation's best teams. Regardless, it's much more fluid than a year ago. One of the main changes EA made was adjusting the offensive line's targeting mechanics. You'll see early on that linemen do a much better job of getting off double-teams to create holes on interior runs and getting to the second level when the running back breaks away from the line. You can finally see your offensive linemen get off of a block and then go pancake the safety coming at you fast. There will be times when you still have to move the defender's angle into the lineman, but it's still progress. EA did a nice job on inside zone runs and dives, allowing the offensive line to get off double-teams and also picking up a linebacker planning to shoot through the gap. Too many times last year the line would just ignore somebody running right at them. If you're struggling with moving the ball on offense, I suggest getting a good running back and calling any shotgun inside zone play over and over again. I'm positive you'll find more success this year than last year, both offline and in online head-to-head games. Now that I've told you to run the ball more, you need a ball-carrier move to help you turn 20-yard runs into even bigger gains. Last year the spin move was hard to deal with, especially with players like Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins, who had abilities that made their spin move even better. This year, at launch, the stiff-arm is really good — so much so that I think it needs to be turned down a little bit, because you don't even need a big, powerful, ball carrier to execute it. Advertisement Just press the A button on Xbox or X on PlayStation each time a player is near you. Depending on the timing, you'll stiff-arm them to the ground and keep running, break the tackle or fight for extra yards. In fact, it's good enough where I'd suggest just pressing a stiff-arm even when running through a hole in the offensive line because you can bounce off tacklers. You won't have success every time, but it works well in most cases. I mentioned this last year, but I have to bring it up again: You need to use the 'switch stick' feature in games. For those who didn't play last year or use the feature, EA has created the 'switch stick' to allow you to switch your user-controlled defender before the ball is thrown. It's different from switching players after the ball is thrown because this allows you to jump from your user to a safety or to a cornerback in order to bait a throw and get an easy interception. This feature created a massive skill gap last year and is going to be a big part of the competitive game again. If you're struggling on defense, try using more man coverage. I've been playing EA football games for a long time and have always preferred zone coverage over man, even when man coverage and heavy blitzing was popular. I enjoy the chess game that comes with trying to shut down a person's offensive tendencies with a variety of zones. But man coverage is really good in this game and takes more tendency-guessing than in past years. The best way to beat man coverage in the past was to spam corners, posts, slants, drags and whip routes over and over again. There were often abilities that would help man coverage, but those routes would still get open. Now, EA introduced the ability to guess your opponent's route and allow you to completely shut it down if you guess correctly. Advertisement For example, if your opponent loves to put their slot receiver on a slant route, you can now tell your slot corner to defend the inside part of the field and the slant will not get open. You can also do the same with whip routes, posts, corners and much more — though it is based on direction. If you predict left and the receiver runs a route to the right, he will be wide-open, leaving the defensive back at the line of scrimmage. That's enough of a penalty and skill gap that man coverage won't be overpowered at the start. It's a guessing game that I really like this year because you can also scheme around that and bracket receivers even if you guess wrong. I'll always be primarily a zone coverage player, but I'll definitely be mixing in more man in CFB 26. Gone are the days when you could recruit every five-star, stack up your roster every year and cruise to championships. Dynasty is my favorite mode in the game, so I was really excited to get my hands on the revamped mode and am loving the new version. The best advice I can give to people interested in Dynasty is to really think everything through. In my first season as the UTSA head coach, I played it like I did last year: recruited all the best players I could, didn't care about dealbreakers and just tried to win. We went 8-4 and then I watched as 21 players went into the transfer portal. My team was decimated and at the same time I lost recruiting battles across my board because of EA's new 'dynamic dealbreakers.' You have to prioritize the right players for your program, whether it's a scheme fit or specific dealbreakers you want to work with, and then plan for the future when players are likely going to transfer. The chaotic transfer portal can be frustrating, but it's also fun trying to put the team together again each year. The best part is the progression system. When you recruit each player, look for specific archetypes that fit your scheme. EA has changed the name of the archetypes and added a lot more like 'north/south blocker' for running backs, 'contested catch specialist' for receivers and so many more. Each archetype has a ratings cap and abilities they can unlock in the offseason when the progression happens. Advertisement To get the most out of those recruits, instead of letting the 'training results' part of the offseason be done by the AI, you should do it manually. There you can pick what attributes you want to improve on your player and add abilities based on the amount of skill points they acquired during the season. It takes some getting used to and some tweaking to really know what type of team you want to build, but this gives us control like we've never had before. Just don't go into it thinking you're going to sign every player you want, especially if you're at the lower-level schools. Instead, recruit with an intent to fit your scheme and depth needs, fill roster holes with the transfer portal and then do player progressions manually. Trust me, you'll have more fun and more success. Now that we know the run game is good, you have to be able to stop the run. I'll give you two tips here: find a way to shoot the run or use the new safety depth mechanic. For years, one of the best ways to stop inside zone runs has been to go to a traditional four-defensive lineman formation like nickel over or 425 Over G, then user-control the linebacker on the side of the running back, stand right over one of your defensive tackles and run directly through the hole and dive to make the tackle in the backfield. It works well again this year, but there are times when you don't want to be stuck in one formation or are struggling to get a read on your opponent's tendencies. Or you're just playing Air Force and going crazy with all the misdirection, like me. To counter some of that, you can bring the safeties into the box with one adjustment. At the play menu, click the right stick in on the controller and change the safety depth option to tight or close. Tight will bring the safeties 5 yards off the line, while close will bring them 8 yards off. Be careful, though, because they are easy to beat deep, so I suggest using this against obvious running formations or in the red zone. Advertisement One of the things that keeps college football games fresh is the variety of playbooks. With so many teams, schemes and personnel groupings, it can be a bit overwhelming to find the playbook for you. Instead of telling you what playbook to use, I'll give you concepts you should be looking for in your playbook to build your scheme around. First, you should find a formation with spacing that is comfortable to you. I'm a compressed fan, so I like a lot of 2×2 tight sets, which allows me to attack the sidelines with corner routes and speed outs, as well as motion players over and create more versatile sets easily. Do you like being under center so you can mix in some runs? Well, there are a lot of options, but it's the same if you prefer to be in the shotgun too. Even if you like the option game, there's something for everybody; just take the time to experiment. Second, once you find out what makes you most comfortable, now you have to find routes that work best. There are some simple routes that work every year, no matter what defense becomes popular, but they're sometimes hard to find. You'll want to find routes that are good versus man coverage and zone coverage, like whip routes, slant routes, post routes and wheel routes. Wheel routes from the slot or tight end are especially good against both zone and man. The added hot routes make it easier to create these route combinations on the fly, but there are still some plays that have better stock routes than others. Lastly, find a play, whether a run or a pass, that you can get to the line and snap quickly without a lot of hot routes. Finding a good quick-snapping play can make things difficult for any defender, no matter how good they are. Don't feel like you have to settle on one playbook — this is college football, where you can throw for 400 yards one game and then decide to run the option next game if you want. Have fun with it! Advertisement If you're struggling on defense, don't worry, most people are right now. Still, there are ways to get stops like using the man coverage function I talked about above. And if you're a zone player, there's another new addition you should try. EA introduced custom zone stems, which is similar to the route stems it brought in last year. Route stems are great because they allow you to set a route and then push it as far up field as you want or bring it closer to the line and get a sharper cut. It's the same for zone stems. First, you need to get used to making individual adjustments to your players in the secondary. It's easy: Just press Y on Xbox or triangle on Playstation twice and you'll see a bar on the screen that gives you more coverage adjustments. The same works for linebackers if you double tap right on the D-pad. From there, you want to select the icon over the defender you want to customize and then hit L1 on PlayStation or LB on Xbox. That allows you to drag the zone you want deeper if you're worried about a deep throw or closer to the line of scrimmage if you are worried about a shorter throw. Now, this isn't an every-down adjustment. It takes time to set them up, but it's nice to mix in a few times a game to catch your opponent off-guard. I like to use them on my hook curls in the middle of the field so I can slow down deep posts and crossers on important downs. This is just another way to confuse your opponent. If you're starting to get the hang of it quickly and you mix the zone stems with your switch stick, you've found some defense. Have fun winning games. (Image courtesy of EA Sports)
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Texas A&M's nonconference game spending total has been revealed ahead of the 2025 season
Texas A&M's non-conference schedule for the 2025 football season will include UTSA to open the campaign, followed by Utah State in Week 2, Notre Dame on the road in Week 3, and a home matchup against Samford in Week 13 before facing the Texas Longhorns to conclude the 2025 regular season. Texas A&M's history against nonconference opponents, especially in Kyle Field, is highly successful, outside of last season's opening season loss to Notre Dame. In contrast, the 2022 home loss to Appalachian State is still regarded as the worst defeat in program history. Still, onward and upward, as coach Mike Elko is set to embark on his second season at the helm with his highly talented roster. From a monetary perspective, Austin American-Statesman Texas A&M beat writer Tony Catalina reported that Texas A&M will spend a combined $3.705 million in game guarantee payments for all four nonconference matchups, with the most expensive coming against Utah State with $1.65 million in guaranteed money. This practice is a solid deal for smaller programs, as it not only allows them to make a substantial amount of money but also provides an opportunity to pull off an upset that will yield further benefits down the road. As Catalina notes, the season-opener vs. UTSA will cost the Aggies $1.5 million, while Samford's visit to Kyle Field is the cheapest at $550,000. Texas A&M must dominate UTSA and Utah State before facing Notre Dame, especially on offense. Behind starting quarterback Marcel Reed, the revamped wide receiver room, loaded running back rotation, and all five 2024 starting offensive linemen back in the trenches, A&M's offense should be one of the top units in the SEC, but will need to prove it during the first two weeks. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
