Latest news with #pre-NFL
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Did Steve Sarkisian cost Texas by not playing Arch Manning more in 2024?
There's no holding back now. No pretense or protection. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian laid it out for all to see earlier this week, leaving no doubt about expectations and goals for new quarterback Arch Manning. Advertisement 'I hope it's not a no-brainer for him to come back to school,' Sarkisian said. And with those comments to the Touchdown Club of Houston, the offseason of hype has begun for the quarterback who has thrown all of 95 career passes. That's not some throwaway line from Sarkisian. It's a unique window into what could one day be considered a monumentally poor decision by one of the game's best coaches. Texas quarterback Arch Manning (16) reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first half against Texas-San Antonio at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. By not playing Manning more in 2024, and eventually putting him in position to play at a high level late in the season in games that mattered, did Sarkisian cost a uber-talented Texas team the chance to win a national title? Advertisement Because if Manning plays so well this fall that he leaves for the NFL after one season as a starter, what does that say about Sarkisian's decision to start (and play) Quinn Ewers in 2024? COACHES RANKINGS: SEC | Big Ten | Big 12 | ACC LOOKING AHEAD: Big Ten leads too-early Top 25 after spring If Manning is talented enough to play at a high level in 2025 and earn a pre-NFL Draft grade that warrants him leaving early, he should've been playing in 2024, too. If not starting. Especially for a team that had a program-record 12 players drafted last week. For a program that has strung together three straight top five recruiting classes, and is as talented as any Texas team in decades. Advertisement Instead, Manning started two gimme games in 2024 when Ewers was hurt. He threw passes in all of six games for a team talented enough to win the national title. A team that, at the end of the season, couldn't move the ball on Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinals, scored a lousy 14 points and lost by two touchdowns. The obvious question is what could've or would've been different had Manning played against Ohio State? Could Texas have done more in 2024? Like it or not, this is the backdrop to the 2025 season, the most anticipated one at Texas in 20 years. In 2004, Texas beat Michigan to win the Rose Bowl, and a young phenom quarterback had just begun to grow into the hype. Advertisement A year later and with expectations at an all-time high, Vince Young had a monster season in his second year as the Texas starting quarterback, and the Longhorns went undefeated and won it all — by beating then-unbeatable Southern California in the BCS national championship game. Texas coach Mack Brown was criticized during Young's early career, when he was redshirted as a freshman in 2002 and played behind Chance Mock for half of 2003. Texas fans saw it as missing out on 1 1/2 years of Young as the starter. Manning redshirted in 2023, and outside of starts against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State in 2024, was a situational substitute. Think about this: Manning threw six passes against non-Mississippi State SEC competition. He didn't attempt a pass in the SEC championship game, and two playoff games. And that's your Heisman Trophy favorite heading into the 2025 season. Advertisement This is the quarterback who forced Ewers' hand to leave early for the NFL. Ewers wasn't going to play anywhere but Texas, and it was clear Texas was moving on to Manning. Ewers was selected in the seventh round of last week's NFL Draft. A day later at the Touchdown Club of Houston event, Sarkisian asked for patience with his new quarterback. 'Arch is a great player, but I hope for everybody here that we don't get too far ahead of ourselves,' Sarkisian said. 'Let this guy go play this year. Let's let him have fun in finally getting his opportunity as the starting quarterback.' But should he have had that opportunity a year earlier? And much like Young, what would he have done with it — and how far would Texas has gone with him? Advertisement Sarkisian said during spring practice that he believes Manning will play well in 2025, and that the offense has the pieces to be highly productive. He says he doesn't expect a drop-off from last season. If Sarkisian is talking about a no-brainer decision for Manning to leave early for the NFL, it's more than just avoiding a drop-off. It's playing at a high level and leading Texas beyond where the season ended the last two years. 'Here's what I hope,' Sarkisian told the Touchdown Club. 'I hope he's got a really hard decision to make on about January 21st. That means we played a long time. That means he's probably had a really good season. And that means he's probably trying to figure out, 'Do I want one more year in the burnt orange, or is it time to go to the NFL?'' That also means Sarkisian made a mistake playing Ewers. Or at least not playing Manning more in 2024. Advertisement There's your no-brainer. Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas needed Arch Manning but Steve Sarkisian didn't play him
USA Today
05-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jacksonville Jaguars make biggest jump in ESPN's post-NFL draft power rankings
Jacksonville Jaguars make biggest jump in ESPN's post-NFL draft power rankings No team made a bigger jump in ESPN's post-NFL draft power rankings than the Jacksonville Jaguars. No team made a bigger jump in ESPN's post-NFL draft power rankings than the Jacksonville Jaguars. There were a few teams that jumped up two spots from their pre-NFL draft ranking spot, but the Jaguars were the only team to improve by three spots. Now, the Jaguars still rank near the bottom in ESPN's power rankings, coming in at No. 25--up from No. 28--which I think is to be expected. While there is a lot of excitement and buzz around this team, and the Jaguars do appear to be on the right track under James Gladstone and Liam Coen, we won't truly know how much progress was made until the football season begins. With that said, ESPN was obviously a fan of Jacksonville's draft. The Jaguars, of course, made an aggressive trade to land the top prospect in this year's class in Travis Hunter, who can provide them a boost at two positions, but Gladstone's overall approach was to build around Trevor Lawrence. The combination of Hunter and Brian Thomas Jr. forms a dynamic one-two punch that will force defenses to spread out and not hone in on only one player. Gladstone also bolstered the running back position by selecting Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen. Looking back at the 2024 Tampa Bay offense under Coen, both on the ground and through the air, the running back position was vital to that unit's success. Lastly, the Jaguars added two more offensive linemen in the draft, even after making four outside additions in free agency. Success for any offense starts up front with providing a run game to lean on and time in the pocket. The added competition, speed, and playmaking abilities to the overall offense, not to mention Coen's offensive scheme, should all help take some of the playmaking burden off Lawrence's shoulders, so he doesn't feel like he has to be Superman on every play. The ceiling for this Jaguars team will be determined by Lawrence's level of play, so Gladstone made sure there was proper balance around him to ensure Lawrence is in a position to find sustained success.
Irish Daily Star
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Star
NFL coach doesn't hide feelings on Quinn Ewers following dramatic NFL Draft slide
Draft night didn't pan out as expected for former Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers. Ewers, once celebrated as the second-ranked high school recruit, was taken by the Miami Dolphins as the 231st pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It's a consensus among NFL scouts that he was only the 14th-best draft-eligible quarterback of his class in 2025, with two FBS quarterbacks from Division II picked before the ex-Longhorn. This is particularly notable considering Ewers had previously turned down nearly $6 million in potential earnings to transfer with an NIL deal. Shedeur Sanders, who signed an eye-watering NIL deal while at Colorado, suffered a slide of his own before being taken by the Cleveland Browns . Read More Related Articles Bill Belichick's ex's life now as NFL icon's girlfriend Jordon Hudson causes scene Read More Related Articles Shedeur Sanders set for huge financial hit from Colorado as Cleveland Browns contract details emerge Not everyone has overlooked him, though; Jon Gruden, the former Super Bowl-winning head coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and now an analyst at Barstool, expressed optimism about Ewers' future. He even shared a photo standing with Ewers captioned: "Welcome to the great state of Florida , Quinn! Miami got themselves quite the arm and a young man that loves football!". In the photo, Ewers is sporting a shirt saying "Gruden's QB Class," which tips the hat to Gruden's traditional pre-NFL Draft show, reports the Mirror US . As things stand, it seems unlikely that Ewers will secure active playing time with the Dolphins in 2024, considering he's presently third on the quarterback depth chart behind the frequently sidelined Tua Tagovailoa and former number two pick Zach Wilson. Ewers was universally heralded as the number two high school recruit. After securing a significant NIL deal, he reclassified and played backup to C.J. Stroud, who is now shining for the Houston Texans. tweet Ewers made his move to Texas and impressed during his three seasons as a Longhorn, clocking in 9,128 yards and 68 touchdowns, along with a sharp completion rate of 64.8 percent. Despite leading Texas to an impressive 21-5 record over two years and earning two spots in the College Football Playoffs, Ewers watched his draft status take a hit. His time with the Longhorns was marred by sporadic injuries, including issues with his AC and SC joints, which led to seven missed starts. Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian sang high praises for his ex-quarterback's influence on the program. "I think about a lot of the people that come through this program over the last four years that have impacted the growth and trajectory of our program, and he's right there near the top, if not at the top of the impact that he's had, not only on the field but off the field," Sarkisian stated. Read More Related Articles Eagles player calls Ivanka Trump 'his type' in inappropriate posts after White House visit Read More Related Articles Donald Trump claims he told Giants to re-sign Saquon Barkley before Eagles move After the previous season concluded, Dolphins GM Chris Grier promised that "every stone will be unturned" in Miami's quest for a reliable backup QB. Grier had kind words for his seventh-round pick. "Sark really likes him and was high on him, talking about him playing through the injuries this year -- which affected his play a little bit," Grier expressed. "But [Sarkisian] talked about his toughness, his mental toughness pushing through with the injury, the expectations, all the pressure with [Arch] Manning there coming in." Grier also highlighted the player's drive and effect on the team: "He loved his competitiveness and how he plays, and how his teammates respond to him. So, he was someone that we always had an eye on, and the opportunity at that point in the draft just made sense for us."
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shedeur Sanders 'sandbagged' interviews during pre-draft process per report
It seems like everyone is trying to figure out how and why Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders went from a consensus top 10 pick to still on the board at the start of the NFL Draft's fourth round. Over at CBS Sports, NFL Insider Jonathan Jones is adding to reporting that Sanders interviewed poorly, noting that his sources believe Sanders may have tanked his pre-draft meetings to avoid getting picked by certain teams. It doesn't entirely explain Sanders' extraordinary slide, but it does add some context. "I was told that he more or less sandbagged in those interviews," Jones said. "I don't know if he didn't take them seriously, what it was, but he did not give it his all." "This is clearly a way for the NFL, and its teams, to let [Shedeur] and anyone else after him know, you can't comport yourself in this way moving forward." - @jjones9 — NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) April 26, 2025 That's a pretty big accusation to be sure, but it's one that doesn't exactly fail the smell test. Remember, a year ago Deion Sanders was still publicly talking about where he wouldn't let Shedeur play as a pro. Last week, an anonymous NFL coach ripped Sanders as "entitled". Coupled with what Jones called an average pro day after Sanders declined to workout at the Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl and NFL Draft Combine, it may have scared a few teams off from using a high pick on the QB. As quarterbacks like Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe and Dillon Gabriel came off the board before Sanders, ESPN's Mel Kiper lost it on the league's front offices. Even Patrick Mahomes couldn't believe how far Sanders had fallen. Adam Schefter called the slide "unprecedented" on the draft broadcast. There's likely a combination of factors at play here. Regardless, were more than two days into an NFL Draft and much of the conversation is still revolving around who teams aren't taking, rather than who they can't wait to grab. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Shedeur Sanders 'sandbagged' pre-NFL Draft interviews per report
New York Times
26-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Bengals draft LB Demetrius Knight Jr.: How he fits, draft grade and scouting intel
The player South Carolina linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. was most often compared to in the pre-NFL Draft process was Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt. Coincidentally, Knight's arrival might officially mark Pratt's departure. Cincinnati prioritized Knight, taking him with pick No. 49 in the second round, knowing the importance of adding a player capable of starting immediately. Advertisement Knight arrived at South Carolina after four years at other programs and immediately became a captain and leader of a quality Gamecocks defense. He's older, at 25, but his maturity and leadership were part of the allure, as Cincinnati needs help immediately with a great communicator in the middle of new coordinator Al Golden's defense. Knight ranked No. 120 in Dane Brugler's Top 300 big board for The Athletic. Here's what Brugler had to say about him in his annual draft guide: 'An active, green-dot defender, Knight has a quick downhill trigger against the run, with the straight-line pursuit speed to drive and finish at the ball carrier. Though he has some limitations in coverage, he is a capable underneath zone defender who can reach his landmark and get eyes on the passer. Overall, Knight won't be a true three-down player for some schemes, but he fits the bill for a defense seeking a fast, thumping run stuffer and blitzer with an old-school mentality. He has early-down starting potential and should see immediate reps on special teams.' Demetrius Knight Jr on the phone with us now. "I'm ecstatic. Excited. Ready to get to work." #Bengals @FOX19 — Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) April 26, 2025 Grade: B The Bengals needed another defensive piece, and Knight has a fascinating path to the NFL. After limited action through three-plus seasons at Georgia Tech, Knight transferred to Charlotte in 2023 and reinvigorated his career. Last year, Knight (6 feet 1 1/2, 235 pounds) moved to South Carolina, where he had 82 tackles, including eight for loss, and three forced fumbles. Knight brings toughness to a defense that needs it. — Scott Dochterman Knight will arrive in a competition to start at linebacker next to Logan Wilson on opening day. He's already the leader in the clubhouse for that competition. Golden said he saw Knight as the focus of his attention when he woke up Friday, and coach Zac Taylor recalled a long sweat when waiting for Wilson to fall to them in the third round in 2020, a moment that helped change the face of the Super Bowl defense. Knight's maturity, leadership and reputation as an elite communicator at South Carolina are part of what makes him the expected answer at linebacker this year. Advertisement This will officially push Pratt out the door. The veteran requested a trade in January, and it has been apparent throughout that the captain was not in Golden's plans on defense. The Bengals didn't want to move on until they had a replacement in-house, and Knight is a one-to-one swap. Letting go of Pratt — whether through trade or release — will save the club $5.6 million on the 2025 cap. Expect that move to come sooner rather than later. It was a gamble to pass on Georgia guard Tate Ratledge, who went seven picks later to the Detroit Lions. He seemed an ideal fit at a part of the draft where he was expected to be selected, having played next to tackle Amarius Mims for the Bulldogs. Cincinnati has a significant need at guard but opted to fill its other need at linebacker. It also could use competition for safety, and Golden's captain at Notre Dame, Xavier Watts, was on the board. There's a thought the Bengals could have waited for Knight — he might have been around in the third round — but it was abundantly clear Cincinnati valued him extremely high and felt fortunate to grab him at No. 49. Demetrius Knight Jr. felt like a nice Bengals fit — in the third round, considering he wasn't even in Dane Brugler's top 100. It would be shocking if he's not starting the opener. This shows the Bengals believed the need at linebacker was larger than the need at guard, but they might have sacrificed filling one for the other by passing on Ratledge.
