Texas Longhorns Football

Arch Manning isn't just in the game.

He's fairly highly rated as well, despite being a backup quarterback for the Texas Longhorns.

As CBS Sports College Football relayed, Manning is rated an 87 overall in the upcoming EA Sports College Football 25 video game that will be released on July 19:

.@TexasFootball QB Arch Manning is an 87 in EA Sports College Football 25 👀 #PresentedByEACreatorNetwork

Exclusive previews of game's top five teams from the experts who played it: https://t.co/zfLyvvoFIm https://t.co/XE46DSItQb pic.twitter.com/2UT4Z3UEBz

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) July 11, 2024

Manning may be a backup, but he is far from an ordinary backup.

He is part of one of football's royal families as the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning and the grandson of Archie Manning. He was the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2023, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and figures to one day be the latest Manning in the NFL.

There is also no shame in being a backup at this point of his career seeing how Texas' starter is Quinn Ewers.

Ewers checks in at 92 overall in the upcoming game, which puts him in the top-four quarterbacks in the nation alongside Colorado's Shedeur Sanders (93), Georgia's Carson Beck (93) and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel (92).

He just led the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff last season and will be on the short list of realistic Heisman Trophy contenders in 2024.

Yet gamers who would rather control Manning in the upcoming EA Sports title will have that chance even if his inclusion wasn't a sure thing for much of the lead-up to the release.

While it was initially reported the quarterback would not opt into the game, he revealed on Tuesday that he will be included during a video with one of his famous uncles:

I’m IN the game 🤘 #CFB25 @EASportsCollege #EAAthlete pic.twitter.com/mgndu7Khuz

— Arch Manning (@ArchManning) July 9, 2024

Manning will just be a sophomore during the 2024 season and is already ranked so highly in the EA Sports game despite throwing just five passes as a freshman. Those who play dynasty mode with Texas will likely benefit from a ratings jump when he becomes a junior and perhaps even a senior in the virtual world, especially with such a high starting point.

The real-life Longhorns hope that becomes reality as well.

Texas quarterback Arch Manning is confirmed to be in EA Sports College Football 25.

The Longhorns backup posted a video on X with his uncle, Eli Manning, declaring, "I'm IN the game."

I’m IN the game 🤘 #CFB25 @EASportsCollege #EAAthlete pic.twitter.com/mgndu7Khuz

— Arch Manning (@ArchManning) July 9, 2024

According to On3 Sports' Pete Nakos, Manning was paid "between" $50,000 and $60,000 to promote the game.

Manning is the latest marquee college star who has confirmed their likeness will be used in the game. Others include Texas starter Quinn Ewers, Colorado two-way sensation Travis Hunter, Alabama's Jalen Milroe, Georgia's Carson Beck and Ohio State's Denzel Burke.

The nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning, Arch came to college with a tremendous amount of hype. He was a 5-star recruit and No. 1 overall prospect in the 2023 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Despite his talent and pedigree, Manning spent last season as the backup to Ewers in Texas. There was speculation that he might look to transfer during the offseason with Ewers coming back for his junior season in 2024.

Instead, Manning decided to remain with the Longhorns. He explained his decision to stay on Monday at the Manning Passing Academy.

"It's tough because you want to be out there playing with your boys," Manning told reporters. "But (it came down to) just realizing there's nowhere else I want to be, and it was my dream to play at Texas. I'm going to stick it out and play there eventually."

Even though the real-life version of Manning may not get a chance to see the field for extended periods of time during the upcoming season, his avatar could lead the Longhorns to a national title if gamers want to make him the starter.

College Football 25 is the first game in the EA Sports' franchise since 2013. It will be released on July 19 for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, though early access will be available on July 16.

NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah broke down the tape on Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers recently, and he sees "similar upside and potential" along the likes of Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal-caller Baker Mayfield.

"He reminds me of: I couldn't come up with a perfect comp for Ewers after studying the three games. The first name that popped into my head was a throwback to my younger days as a scout: Kevin Kolb. Something about Ewers' delivery and play style evoked that old-school name. However, the more game tape I watched, the more I thought of Baker Mayfield. Both guys have a quick twitch in everything they do -- seeing the field, setting up in the pocket and delivering the ball.

"There's a moxie and playmaking skill set to build around with both guys. Mayfield has really blossomed in Tampa Bay after bouncing around the league for the past few years. I don't think Ewers is quite as polished as Mayfield was at the same point in his college career, but I do see similar upside and potential."

Mayfield, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL draft, endured an up-and-down pro career from 2018 to 2022. However, he thrived in his first year in Tampa Bay last season, amassing career-highs in passing yards (4,044) and passing touchdowns (28). He also earned Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his career.

Ewers just led Texas to the College Football Playoff, completing 69.0 percent of his passes for 3,479 yards (8.8 yards per attempt) and 22 touchdowns (six interceptions). He's back again as the team's QB1, and it will be interesting to see if he's able to raise his draft stock with another great year.

There's debate on where he ranks right now in the 2025 draft.

Derrik Klassen for Bleacher Report had this to say in April.

"Ewers is a popular name at the top of the class, but he's more of an idea than anything right now. The recruiting prestige and raw arm talent only go so far in my eyes.

"For now, he's a Drew Lock type of prospect: A fine Day 2 gamble with immense arm talent but far from a guarantee to develop into a franchise prospect."

Dane Brugler of The Athletic notably has Ewers as his QB2 in the 2025 class.

We'll find out down the road about Ewers' pro prospects, but for now, he and the Longhorns are shooting for a national title. That road begins Aug. 31 against Colorado State.

Texas quarterback Arch Manning revealed his reason for staying with the Longhorns instead of transferring following the 2023 season.

"It's tough because you want to be out there playing with your boys," Manning said, per Larry Holder of The Athletic. "But [it came down to] just realizing there's nowhere else I want to be, and it was my dream to play at Texas. I'm going to stick it out and play there eventually."

The 19-year-old spent his freshman season behind Quinn Ewers and Maalik Murphy on Texas' depth chart. Manning appeared in just two games, completing two of his five pass attempts for 30 yards.

The rising sophomore was the No. 1 prospect in the country as a member of the 2023 recruiting class, per 247Sports' Composite Rankings.

With Ewers returning to Texas following an impressive 2023 campaign, Manning is expected to be his backup once again as the Longhorns look to navigate through a full season in the SEC after winning a Big 12 title last year.

"I think he understands that what he's got here is he's gonna be the most ready whenever he goes to the NFL," Ewers said, via Holder. "I think coach Sark [Steve Sarkisian] does the best job getting quarterbacks ready for the NFL and developing guys. [Manning will] be playing in his third year. He'll be more than comfortable in operating the offense, and it's just a really good fit for him."

Ewers added that he understood Manning's patience, referencing his own prior stint as a reserve at Ohio State in 2021.

"I think his actions definitely go to show that the kid's got some patience, for sure," he said. "I know it's tough, because when I went to Ohio State, obviously it's tough sitting behind somebody."

With Ewers back under center for the Longhorns' upcoming 2024 campaign, Manning will look to earn the full-time starting job in 2025.

The Texas Longhorns landed a commitment from one of the top players in the class of 2026 on Monday.

5-star quarterback Dia Bell, the No. 2 quarterback and No. 10 overall player in 247Sports' composite, announced his commitment to the Longhorns. Bell is the son of former NBA shooting guard Raja Bell, who played in the league for 12 years.

Dia Bell, the No. 2 QB and No. 9 overall prospect in the 2026 class, commits to Texas.

The 6-foot-3 pocket passer attended Longhorns camp in Austin earlier this month. He is the son of former 12-year NBA veteran Raja Bell. https://t.co/isQPtiYwJ2

— Eli Lederman (@ByEliLederman) June 17, 2024

Bell chose Texas over offers from schools like LSU, Penn State, Florida, Colorado and many others. He told Hayes Fawcett of On3.com that he was impressed with the Longhorns during his visits and he developed a rapport with head coach Steve Sarkisian and co-offensive coordinator A.J. Milwee.

"I really enjoyed my visits and have developed great relationships with Coach Sark and Milwee," Bell said. "They are one of the best offenses in the country and have a track record of development at my position. I'm really excited about their move to the SEC and the opportunity to help bring a championship to the 40 acres."

Bell also stars on the basketball team at American Heritage High School in Fort Lauderdale, but he chose not to follow in his father's footsteps because he developed a passion for football during his childhood.

"I always liked both football and basketball growing up. My family are big football fans," he said. "My grandfather played wide receiver in college and worked in the athletic department at the University of Miami when they were winning national championships. I put on pads for the first time when I was in third grade, and I've been hooked ever since."

Fawcett noted that Bell threw for 1,929 yards and 20 touchdowns during his sophomore year. It looks like he's on a trajectory to become the next star quarterback prospect to suit up for the Longhorns.

Baby Gronk has "committed" to a different school, and by the time you're reading this he has probably pledged his future to an entirely new program.

Madden San Miguel announced Wednesday he flipped his "commitment" to Texas, which follows a series of similar moves.

BABY GRONK FLIPS TO TEXAS pic.twitter.com/GDmJIEiUKB

— BABY GRONK (@BabyGronk5) June 5, 2024

Not only is the 11-year-old unable to make any actual binding commitments to a college, but the frequency with which he has changed his mind underlines how this is a ploy for attention.

A quick perusal of his feed on X shows him photoshopped in jerseys for USC, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Nebraska, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Colorado, Michigan and Ohio State among others.

Self-promotion has always been part of the game in high-level recruiting. In a previous era, athletes weren't above adjusting the speed of their highlight reel to make themselves look faster on tape.

In the case of Baby Gronk, though, treating the recruiting process like a joke probably won't help his standing with the coaches at top-level schools when it's time to begin evaluating the landscape.

Texas and Oklahoma making the move to the SEC for the 2024 season has renewed a number of traditional rivalry games, and Longhorns' head coach Steve Sarkisian is here for it.

He told ESPN's Heather Dinich on Wednesday that he's looking forward to having Texas A&M and Arkansas back on the schedule:

I've been part of some great rivalries in college football, and I know there was so much talk about realignment and I know realignment looks different for every school, but for us, we gained two rivals back. We're playing Arkansas again, which is great for Texas and Longhorn nation. We get A&M back. The game with A&M, you're talking about houses divided, you're talking about decades of tremendous games and Thanksgiving weekend. To get that game back, we're looking forward to it, I'm sure A&M is, too. I've got a ton of respect for Coach [Mike] Elko.

The Longhorns and the Aggies—in-state rivals who haven't played since 2011 after Texas A&M's move to the SEC, ending a 96-year uninterrupted streak of matchups—will face off on Nov. 30. Texas and Arkansas, who haven't played a conference game against one another since 1991 in the Southwest Conference days, will face off on Nov. 16.

"Our rival has been Texas when we didn't play Texas," Razorbacks' head coach Sam Pittman told Dinich. "You can feel it in the state. We did have an opportunity to play Texas two or three seasons ago, and it was a big, big deal for the state of Arkansas. For us at least it's a great addition to bring an old rivalry back."

Texas leads the all-time series against Texas A&M, 76–37–5, and the series against Arkansas by a margin of 56-23.

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko on Texas joining SEC: "We should play them. When you have 2 programs like that in same state 2 hours away they should play every year and it should mean a lot"

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) May 28, 2024

Conference realignment has been one of the major stories in college football in recent seasons. Along with Texas and Oklahoma defecting to the SEC, the Pac-12 will at least temporarily cease to exist after USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington departed for the Big Ten; Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah left for the Big 12; Stanford and Washington headed to the ACC; and Oregon State and Washington State will play six football games in the Mountain West next season.

The SEC and Big Ten undoubtedly came out of the fracas as the two strongest conferences in the country. The Big 12 lost not only its two biggest programs but one of the banner rivalries in the sport, the Red River Shootout. And the Big Ten added a traditional football powerhouse in USC, a traditional basketball powerhouse in UCLA and a pair of schools in Oregon and Washington who jockeyed for Pac-12 football supremacy in recent years.

In most cases, conference realignment has ended a lot of classic conference rivalries. Texas is one of the few schools restoring those classic matchups.

Despite being among the very-early favorites for the 2024 Heisman Trophy, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers isn't universally regarded as a superstar talent right now.

One defensive backs coach whose team played against the Longhorns last season told The Athletic's Bruce Feldman that Ewers' physical gifts outweigh what he does during games.

"I'm not that high on him," the coach said. "Overhyped. He has a good arm, and he did have a lot of talent around him, but you just see a bunch of stuff where you wonder what he's doing out there."

Coming out of Southlake Carroll High School three years ago, Ewers was the No. 1 prospect in the country by 247Sports' composite rankings. He played one season at Ohio State backing up C.J. Stroud before transferring to Texas.

Ewers has played a role in bringing Texas back to national prominence. He was terrific in a 34-24 win over Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium, throwing for 349 yards and three touchdowns.

There were some low moments along the way. Ewers was picked off twice on Texas' first two offensive possessions and lost a fumble in the third quarter in a 34-30 loss to Oklahoma. He only completed 55.8 percent of his attempts in the College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Washington.

DraftKings Sportsbook has Ewers at +900 (bet $100 to win $900) to win the Heisman Trophy. Georgia's Carson Beck is the only player with better odds at this point (+800).

Expectations are going to be high for Ewers and the Longhorns after winning the Big 12 title and making the College Football Playoff for the first time in 2023.

If there are any struggles for Ewers along the way, head coach Steve Sarkisian has Arch Manning, the top-ranked recruit in the 2023 class, on the bench ready to step in.

The College Football Playoff semifinalists have one clear defensive superstar going to the NFL alongside some eye-opening talent on the offensive side.

Defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, whose draft stock has steadily improved this offseason, leads the way. The monster in the middle managed five sacks and could showcase great versatility at the next level.

"He played up and down the Longhorns' defensive line, lining up as far inside as a nose tackle to taking a few reps on the edge at defensive end," B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder wrote. "He also has a lot of potential against the run and as a pass-rusher."

Murphy didn't wait long Thursday, going 16th to the Seattle Seahawks.

The offense featured quite a few playmakers who are now calling the NFL home.

Wide receiver Adonai Mitchell has flown up draft boards, and that's no surprise after he authored a breakout year (55 catches, 845 yards, 11 touchdowns). He went a little later than expected but landed at No. 52 to the Indianapolis Colts.

Fellow teammate Xavier Worthy was a workhorse in this offense, leading the team with 75 receptions and 1,014 yards. Worthy found a home early, going 28th to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Both showcased their athletic talents and potential at the combine. Can they be stars in the pros?

Running back Jonathan Brooks entered the draft with a chance to be the first at his position taken, and that's what happened when the Carolina Panthers selected him 46th overall. Brooks was also the only running back taken in the first two rounds.

Brooks tore his ACL and missed the final four games of the season but is ahead of schedule. It's hard to ignore that he had 1,425 total yards before suffering the injury.

Ultimately, Texas Longhorns should hear their names called early and often in the draft. Here's where they all went.

Texas NFL Draft Prospect List

DL Byron Murphy II: Seattle Seahawks (Round 1, Pick 16)

WR Xavier Worthy: Kansas City Chiefs (Round 1, Pick 28)

WR Adonai Mitchell: Indianapolis Colts (Round 2, Pick 52)

TE Ja'Tavion Sanders: Carolina Panthers (Round 4, Pick 101)

RB Jonathon Brooks: Carolina Panthers (Round 2, Pick 46)

DL T'Vondre Sweat: Tennessee Titans (Round 2, Pick 38)

OT Christian Jones: Arizona Cardinals (Round 5, Pick 162)

LB Jaylan Ford: New Orleans Saints (Round 5, Pick 175)

CB Ryan Watts: Pittsburgh Steelers (Round 6, Pick 195)

WR Jordan Whittington: Los Angeles Rams (Round 6, Pick 213)

RB Keilan Robinson: Jacksonville Jaguars (Round 5, Pick 167)

List courtesy of NFL.com

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The Miami Dolphins already have one of the fastest wide receivers in the NFL in Tyreek Hill, and they have been linked to another speedy receiver in the NFL draft.

Per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, the Dolphins are eyeing Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who ran a record time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.

"So with all of that established, one name I've heard circled for Miami from other teams is Texas WR Xavier Worthy, who would add even more speed to the offense, and perhaps give the team an off-ramp with Tyreek Hill over the next year or two," Breer wrote.

But another team is also in the mix for Worthy, according to Breer. The Kansas City Chiefs could be without Rashee Rice, who could face legal issues after charges involving a car crash. Given the situation, Breer reported that Worthy has been linked to the Chiefs.

"Yes, another team that could use another tackle, with Donovan Smith still unsigned and Jawaan Taylor the only one on the roster with starting experience," Breer wrote. "But Kansas City is bracing for Rashee Rice to, eventually, incur sanctions from the league for his recent hit-and-run, and so receiver is higher on the list than it might've been a couple of months ago. I have heard Worthy's name connected to Kansas City."

Worthy's speedy 4.21 time in the 40-yard dash certainly caught the attention of NFL teams, but his speed is far from the only thing he would bring. He had 1,014 receiving yards and five touchdowns in his final season with the Longhorns, bringing his career totals to 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns over three seasons.

Worthy is considered to be the No. 50 overall prospect and the No. 9 receiver in the draft class by Bleacher Report's Scouting Department. In the latest mock draft, he is projected to go to the Indianapolis Colts with the No. 46 pick.

Miami's earliest pick is No. 21 while the Chiefs' earliest selection is No. 32. Depending on how eager either team is to land Worthy, they could select him in the first round.

Receiver struggles were a theme for Kansas City last year, with drops and miscues plaguing the team all season. Worthy could give the Chiefs a boost on offense as they search for a third-straight championship.

The Dolphins already have a strong receiving core led by Hill, and Worthy would be just another threat down the field.