Category: Texas longhorn

 

 

After joining the Texas Longhorns in 2023, quarterback Arch Manning instantly became one of the biggest names in all of college football.

 

Whether it was for his play or his relation to NFL legends Peyton and Eli, Arch Manning was the top prospect in the class of 2023 (247Sports). He received many different offers from major college football programs across the country, but the top three contending teams came down to Texas, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

 

Now, with Quinn Ewers leaving for the 2025 NFL draft, Arch Manning is expected to take over under center to begin the 2025 season. This has only raised his popularity and the hype surrounding him.

 

Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning.

Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning. Jerome

In an online interview with Sprung that was posted on TikTok, Arch Manning revealed some problems he has been dealing with on campus. He was then asked if it might be different at smaller schools before the quarterback admitted that he had to reject a “visit” to Alabama due to his popularity.

 

“It’s like my buddies who go to Alabama, they want me to come visit,” Arch Manning said. “I don’t know if that’s the best idea. Tuscaloosa. But Austin is nice. You can go to parts of it where you can kind of get away, and nobody knows about football. You’re just another guy.”

 

Ultimately, Arch Manning chose Texas over Alabama and Georgia, crediting coach Steve Sarkisian for helping him come to a decision.

 

“I can relate to [Sarkisian] because he’s younger,” Arch Manning told 247Sports in 2021. “It seems like we’re friends almost. I like him a lot. He’d be a cool guy to get to play for. Hopefully, he doesn’t get too many job offers and stays there. He’s a good guy. I really like everyone I’ve met and have enjoyed building relationships and meeting different guys.”

 

The Arch Manning era for the Longhorns will begin on Saturday, August 30, when they face the Ohio State Buckeyes in a Cotton Bowl rematch.

 

 

 

Arrest records from Grayson County, Texas, show that Cook has been arrested for possession of marijuana of less than two ounces. On3 Sports was the first to report. The incident comes 10 days after Cook was arrested in Fort Worth on property theft charges and interference in public duties.

 

Cook and the Longhorns mutually parted ways last fall after he failed to stand out among a crowded receiver room. The pass-catcher entered the transfer portal, where he landed with Washington at the beginning of the winter window.

 

The Huskies expected Cook to compete for a starting job immediately as the program had lost receivers Giles Jackson and Jeremiah Hunter to graduation and Keith Reynolds to the transfer portal. Instead, Cook left the program not even a month later.

 

A 2023 signee out of DeSoto High School, Cook was rated as a five-star prospect by the 247Sports composite after a stellar high school career that saw him win a state championship. He caught eight passes for 136 yards as a freshman. He then appeared in six games for the Longhorns in 2024, tallying eight receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns.

 

Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this tremendous offer.

With Longhorns starting quarterback Quinn Ewers declaring for the 2025 NFL draft, Arch Manning’s Texas career is about to take a significant turn. Although Manning has played in a number of games over the last two seasons, he acknowledged that the transition from high school football to college football was difficult, at least in the weight room.”

The workouts were no joke,” Manning confirmed to GQ. ”

It was challenging! A player advised me to make sure I lift and exercise a lot before I arrived in town during one of my visits. I was quite prepared because I took that seriously, but they are not simple. The hardest element, in my opinion, was the intensity and frequency of [our] practice.

We’ll go outside in the summer atManning inked a big contract with Red Bull as he gets ready for his debut season as a starting quarterback in the NCAA levels.

Manning, “I really like this partnership,” remarked. “My family and I have had great treatment from everyone at Red Bull, and I am eager to get things started.

In addition, I enjoy a Red Bull in the cup. We need some energy because we have early meetings. In an interview with Red Bull, the future Longhorns starting quarterback was also asked to choose the “Great of All Time” in a variety of categories.

He hinted at his celebrity obsession by naming the movie section “Wolf of Wall Street” and omitting Margot Robbie’s name.

 

Texas assistant coach Elana Lovato made a bold statement to head coach Vic Schaefer last month after the Longhorns were overwhelmed in a 17-point loss to South Carolina.

 

“[She] looked at me and said, ‘We will beat them in a month,’ ” Schaefer said Sunday. “And that’s God’s honest truth.”

 

The No. 4 Longhorns made the most of their national television game on Super Bowl Sunday and won their rematch with No. 2 South Carolina, 66-62, a victory that ended the Gamecocks’ 57-game winning streak in regular-season Southeastern Conference games dating to December 2021.

 

The victory by the Longhorns forged a three-way tie atop the SEC standings with the Gamecocks and LSU, all at 10-1.

 

South Carolina (22-2) had won 17 straight since losing to top-ranked UCLA on Nov. 24. The Gamecocks arrived with confidence and Dawn Staley sporting a Super Bowl sweatshirt in support of her hometown Philadelphia Eagles, who crushed the Chiefs later in the day in New Orleans for the NFL title.

 

 

A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

 

Texas’ Madison Booker scored 20 points and Rori Harmon hit two critical free throws in the final seconds to secure the Longhorns’ eighth straight win and 20th in a row at home since January 2024.

 

 

 

Staley, per usual, was one to consider the bigger picture of her sport.

 

“Great atmosphere,” Staley said. ”It’s great for women’s basketball, probably great for TV. Close game, great for our game. It’s just unfortunate somebody had to lose.”

 

Texas (24-2) was never in the first game against South Carolina, shooting a season-low 28 percent. On Sunday, the Longhorns shot 44 percent. They outrebounded the Gamecocks, 42-35, outscored them, 40-26, in the paint and 19-12 in second-chance points.

 

“It took tremendous toughness to win that game,” Schaefer said. “They earned it. I don’t have to tell you how good that team is we played today. In my mind, they’re the number one team in the country. And I mean no disrespect to UCLA.”

 

Booker converted just 3 of 19 shots during the loss at South Carolina. She shot better in the rematch against South Carolina’s tough defense, hitting 7 of 22 shots, and grabbing 11 rebounds, including a critical one late in the game.

 

 

 

“It’s my job to rebound,” Booker said. “I should be down there.”

 

Booker, a sophomore, is not just Texas’ best player, she’s the most versatile. A natural small forward, the 6-foot-1 Booker moved to point guard last season, replacing Harmon after she sustained a season-ending knee injury. Texas recently lost starting power forward Aaliyah Moore to a knee injury, and Booker has asserted herself more as a rebounder.

 

“She was a beast on the boards,” Staley said.

 

Texas centers Taylor Jones and Kyla Oldacre combined for 24 points and 12 rebounds.

 

“That’s my two-headed monster,” Schaefer said.

 

Schaefer proudly put them on display for a national audience.

 

“It makes me really happy to be a part of that,” Harmon said. “The history and just this movement with women’s basketball. To be able to have this game, like a little pre [Super Bowl] game. I think that’s so cool.”

 

Did the NBA trade deadline actually move the needle?

4:33

 

WATCH: Celtics beat reporter Adam Himmelsbach evaluates if any team around the league did enough to beat Boston in June.

 

1. Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss)

Jaxson Dart had a phenomenal season, leading the SEC with 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns, and a 69.3% completion rate. He made huge plays all year, and while his late-season turnovers hurt Ole Miss’ Playoff hopes, he was still the best QB in the conference.

 

2. Garrett Nussmeier (LSU)

Nussmeier took over the LSU offense and put up 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was aggressive and pushed the ball downfield, but his 12 interceptions kept him from claiming the top spot.

 

3. Quinn Ewers (Texas)

Ewers threw for 3,472 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Say what you want to about Ewers, but he was the lone SEC quarterback to lead his team to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff, and that’s worth something.

 

4. Carson Beck (Georgia)

Carson Beck had a steady season with 3,485 yards and 28 touchdowns. He showed leadership and poise, but his inconsistent play in key moments kept him from climbing higher.

 

5. Jalen Milroe (Alabama)

Milroe was electric at times, but his 2,844 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions show just how up-and-down his season was. His athleticism made him dangerous, but Alabama needed more consistency from him.

 

6. DJ Lagway (Florida)

Lagway was one of the most exciting freshmen in the country, throwing for 1,915 yards, 12 touchdowns, and averaging 10 yards per attempt. He made plenty of highlight-reel plays and showed why he’s Florida’s QB of the future.

 

7. Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee)

Iamaleava put up 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns, and only 5 interceptions, proving he could handle the pressure of SEC football. His ability to make plays with his arm and legs makes him one of the most promising quarterbacks moving forward.

 

8. LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina)

Sellers developed into a strong SEC quarterback towards the end of the season, finishing with 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns. His mobility made him a tough challenge for defenses, and South Carolina’s offense looks primed to be very good in 2025.

 

9. Marcel Reed (Texas A&M)

Reed deserves a spot in the top 10, throwing for 1,864 yards, 15 touchdowns, and showing his ability to take over games. He kept Texas A&M competitive, but he’ll need to take the next step for the Aggies to be a contender in the conference next season.

 

10. Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt)

Diego Pavia was Vanderbilt’s offense, accounting for nearly 75% of the team’s total yards. He threw for 2,293 yards and 20 touchdowns, while rushing for 800 yards and eight touchdowns, but the lack of team success dropped him.

 

11. Brady Cook (Missouri)

Cook wasn’t flashy, but he was efficient, throwing for 2,535 yards, 11 touchdowns, and only two interceptions. He was a reliable leader for Missouri’s offense.

 

12. Taylen Green (Arkansas)

Green had some big-time plays but struggled with consistency, throwing for 3,154 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. His athleticism was a game-changer, but Arkansas needed more stability at QB.

 

13. Payton Thorne (Auburn)

Thorne’s 2,713 passing yards and 21 touchdowns look solid on paper, but Auburn’s offense struggled too often. He had a few great games but wasn’t the difference-maker Auburn hoped for.

 

14. Michael Van Buren Jr. (Mississippi State)

Van Buren started strong but faded as the season progressed. He finished with 1,886 yards and 11 touchdowns, but his struggles against SEC defenses were evident.

 

15. Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma)

Arnold had a tough season, throwing for just 1,421 yards and 12 touchdowns. His inconsistency ultimately led to Oklahoma looking elsewhere and, now, he’ll get a chance at a re-do in Auburn.

 

16. Cutter Boley (Kentucky)

Boley took over late in the season, throwing for 324 yards and two touchdowns. He showed potential, but there’s a lot of room for growth.

 

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, a former five-star recruit who is entering his third season in Austin, was rated as the No. 1 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class according to 247Sports.

 

While it seems obvious that a talented quarterback from the Manning family should be the No. 1 overall player in the nation, not everyone agreed that Arch was ranked properly.

 

The critics pointed to the fact that Manning played against less-than-stellar competition while suiting up for Isidore Newman in New Orleans.

 

“Manning is already overrated,” wrote recruiting insider Mike Farrell in early 2024. “I’ve said that many times. If his name were Arch Smith and you watched his high school film at that awful level of competition, you’d 3-star him. But alas, people fall for the last name and hype.”

 

That was quite a take from Farrell that doesn’t look great in retrospect (Manning looked very much like a five-star when he saw the field for Texas during the 2024 season).

 

While I’m sure Manning doesn’t agree with that assessment of his talent, he doesn’t dispute that he faced terrible competition in high school.

 

A clip posted on social media this week showed Manning responding to various tweets/social media posts and during one clip, which compared Arch to NFL running back Derrick Henry, the Texas quarterback admitted that he didn’t face the best competition during his time at Isidore Newman.

 

“I wish I was Derrick Henry, he’s a great looking athlete,” says Manning in the clip. “I also played against terrible competition in high school. Not terrible, but like, smaller competition in high school, so it’s not really saying much.”

 

Manning paused to correct himself after saying “terrible”, but the Freudian slip speaks for itself.

 

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what kind of competition Arch played against in high school — he looks like a future early round NFL Draft pick.

 

Great players rise to the level of the competition they’re facing. And that certainly appears to be true for Arch Manning.

 

 

The Texas Longhorns have made a strong return to the top of college football, led by head coach Steve Sarkisian.

Texas finished the season with a 13-3 record and a 7-1 mark in SEC play.

The Longhorns, after defeating Clemson and Arizona State in the postseason, fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes, the eventual national champions, in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Following a successful first season in the SEC, Texas received major recruiting news.

On Wednesday, Texas secured a commitment from offensive tackle Max Wright, according to Hayes Fawcett.

“Texas raised,” Wright remarked.

Wright, a three-star recruit, is ranked as the No. 33 offensive tackle and No. 409 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports.

Prior to committing to Texas, Wright was pursued by several Power Four programs, including Michigan, Arkansas, SMU, Kansas State, and Arizona State.

Wright’s commitment is significant for Sarkisian and his staff, who have developed some of the best offensive lines in the nation, with standout players like Kelvin Banks. Wright, standing 6-foot-7 and weighing 290 pounds, enters with elite size.

 

With Longhorns starting quarterback Quinn Ewers declaring for the 2025 NFL draft, Arch Manning’s Texas career is about to take a significant turn.

Although Manning has played in a number of games over the last two seasons, he acknowledged that the transition from high school football to college football was difficult, at least in the weight room.

The workouts were no joke,” Manning told GQ. “It was hard! On one of my visits, a player told me to make sure I run a lot and lift before I get to town.

I took that to heart, so I was pretty prepared, but they are not easy. I think the intensity, and how often [we did them] was the toughest part.

In the summer, we’ll get out there at 6:30 at night, and then you’re back the next morning at 6:30 for another workout. There’s not much time for recovery, but you gotta get the most out of it.”

As he prepares for his first season as a starting quarterback in the collegiate ranks, Manning signed a lucrative deal with Red Bull. “I really like this partnership,” Manning said.

“Everyone at Red Bull has been super nice to me and my family and I can’t wait to get it going. Plus, I like a Red Bull in the morning. We got early meetings — need a little energy.”

The future Longhorns starting quarterback also sat down with Red Bull for an interview where he was asked to name the “Great of All Time” in a number of categories.

For the film section he named “Wolf of Wall Street” while dropping Margot Robbie’s name, hinting at his celebrity crush.

During the 2024 college football season, Manning completed 67.8% of his passes for 939 yards with nine touchdowns and just two interceptions while running for 108 yards and four scores.

 

 

 

A Super Bowl champion will be crowned on Sunday, when the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will face off in New Orleans.

 

While those two teams are locked in on being the final team standing, the other 30 teams across the league are in draft mode. This year’s draft, in particular, poses an interesting challenge for the teams needing a quarterback.

 

Unlike last year’s, which saw six signal-callers go in round one, this year’s class is viewed as having less star power. However, the free agency market also isn’t anything to write home about either, which means teams may take a chance on a quarterback in the draft.

 

Someone who could benefit from both of these scenarios is Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, who, in ESPN’s latest NFL mock draft, went early in the second round at pick No. 42. Matt Miller tabbed him as a possible option for the New York Jets, who could be hoping to replace Aaron Rodgers.

 

“It will be fascinating to watch Ewers’ predraft process, and a strong combine could boost him into Round 1,” wrote Miller. “The Jets need an heir apparent to Aaron Rodgers and might need that successor to start immediately. Three seasons as a starter at Texas would have Ewers ready for that task. He threw for 3,472 yards, 31 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this past season.”

 

 

Rodgers inked a three-year deal worth over $112 million prior to 2023, but his tenure with the team has been far from pretty.

 

Through the first couple of weeks in the season, Ewers appeared to be on track to have a Heisman-caliber season, but an oblique injury sidelined him for two weeks. On top of that, he wasn’t fully healthy when he returned and it was obvious in his play.

 

Regardless, teams are still quite intrigued by the former No. 1 overall recruit, who has a chance to soar up draft boards with a strong pre-draft process.

 

Former Denver Broncos player Peyton Manning with his son Marshall.

 

Former Texas and Washington wide receiver Johntay Cook II, the top available prospect in 247Sports’ Transfer Rankings, was arrested Tuesday on charges of property theft and interference of public duties, according to a listing in Tarrant County, Texas’ inmate database. Cook is currently being held at Lon Evans Correctional Center in Fort Worth.

 

Cook, a former top-40 prospect in the 2023 class out of DeSoto, Texas, spent the first two years of his career at the University of Texas. The Longhorns and Cook mutually parted ways midway through the 2024 season before he entered the transfer portal.

 

Cook initially transferred to and enrolled at Washington. At the time, he was the only wideout the Huskies signed via the transfer portal. But shortly after he arrived on campus, Cook and Washington coach Jedd Fisch made the decision to move on from one another in a meeting. Cook re-entered the transfer portal on Jan. 14.

 

He logged eight catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns in 2024 A majority of that work came in blowout wins against Colorado State and UTSA where he totaled six receptions for 91 yards, and he hauled in both of his scores against the Roadrunners. He also had 136 yards receiving as a true freshman in 2023.