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USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning shines in SEC Media Days spotlight
Arch Manning better go 37-0 this season It was quite a day for Texas' new starting quarterback. From the largest media throng of any player at SEC Media Days to shaking the hand of a starstruck Paul Finebaum, Arch Manning handled his day in Atlanta like a seasoned pro. Manning handled every question thrown at him with ease. He showed off his knowledge of the game, his humble but competitive mindset and his dry humor. Even though it was Manning's first huge press event, the redshirt sophomore has been watching his uncles handle the press his entire life. He learned at the feet of pros. "I think I've had a lot of role models to look up to and how they deal with the media," he said. "I think Quinn did a really good job handling the media. But I'm here to play ball. This is very much so secondary." Talking ball 🎙️ @ArchManning The New Orleans native talked about how he hasn't earned any of the attention he's getting. "It's weird," Manning told ESPN. "I really haven't deserved any of this, so just trying to play along and play ball." Arch Manning is Becoming a Real Leader for Texas! 🤘'I'm Trying to Walk the Walk, and Do the Work… I Feel Like You Need to Have a Good Relationship with Everyone Before You Lead.'That's Our Quarterback! He spoke several times about becoming a leader and a great teammate, a lesson he says his grandfather, former New Orleans Saints QB Archie Manning, instilled in him. "I get a lot of advice," he said, "but I think the one thing that I kind of keep coming back to is my grandfather always tells me to be a good guy and be a good teammate, so I think I'm going to do that." A powerful moment inside the College Football Hall of Fame — @TexasFootball QB @ArchManning with his grandfather Archie Manning's @OleMissFB jersey, honoring a legacy that runs deep here. 🏈 #CFBHALL #SECMD25 Manning was asked about the renewal of the rivalry between Texas and A&M, "It was a privilege to have that rivalry back. I'm glad I got to impact the game a little bit. They're a really good team. That was a big-time atmosphere. I'm looking forward to that game." He was asked about growing up in Louisiana, but going to school in Texas. "I try to bring as much New Orleans style to Texas," Manning said. I learned a lot growing up in New Orleans. Been around a lot of good players. We have some other guys from the state of Louisiana with me at been fun. Going back every year to Thibodaux, the New Orleans culture and Louisiana culture is second to none. So it's always fun going back." Arch Manning talks about doing commercials with his dad Cooper, and his grandfather Archie Manning.#HookEm Manning was still very deferential to Quinn Ewers and says they still communicate. "I learned so much from Quinn in my two years behind him. I think he handled it like a pro. It's definitely not easy having me as the backup with all the media. I'm forever grateful for him. I actually texted him the other week for advice on two-minute, what kind of plays he likes to start with." He even gave ESPN's Paul Finebaum, who has become a huge fan, a thrill by shaking his hand on his way to the press conference. Easily the best handshake since Tim Tebow... 🤝 Handling the media part of starting quarterback job is important. It's not as important has how he plays, but it's still a key part of the job. If this was Manning's first big test, he passed with flying colors. Arch Manning is going to be popular because of his nameNow the nation and his family. But America is starting to get to know Arch and they love what they see. Follow us on X/Twitter at @LonghornsWire.
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Everything Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning said at SEC Media Days
No player, or coach for that matter, was as anticipated at SEC Media Days then Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. Already a star, Manning is in the process of becoming a superstar/household name before our eyes. On Tuesday, in Atlanta, Manning met the assembled media, a throng that dwarfed the crowd around any other player at the event. Here is the transcript from Manning's question and answer period at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, thanks to the Southeastern Conference media department: Q. Obviously your first time at SEC media days. There's a lot of hype around you, but what do people maybe not know about you? ARCH MANNING: I feel like I'm a pretty normal guy. I like to hang out with my buddies, take golf. I take football pretty seriously. Other than that, just a regular guy. Q. What are some of the things you like to improve upon from your last season? What can you say about your receivers and this offense? ARCH MANNING: Our receivers are really good, really fast. We have a bunch of young ones, but having Wingo and D-Mo back will be good. I'm just really trying to improve as a leader this offseason. Q. Becoming more of a leader, your teammates have said how active a role you took. What was the impetus of that to try to kind of establish yourself this offseason? ARCH MANNING: I think as much as it wasn't always easy, those two years I kind of feel like I got a lot of respect from the team. Now being more of a vocal leader, they know it's coming from a place of love. When I get on someone, they know I'm not just being a turd. Q. With all the media attention that you've gotten this offseason, your entire career and today, all the scrums around you, has any of this started to feel almost normal at this point? ARCH MANNING: I don't know. Maybe so. I think I've had a lot of role models to look up to and how they deal with the media. I think Quinn did a really good job handling the media. But I'm here to play ball. This is very much so secondary. Q. Who is more competitive, yourself or Michael Taaffe? ARCH MANNING: That's pretty close. Q. Who talks more trash? ARCH MANNING: He's annoying competitive, though. He'll pick up a piece of trash, and be, I picked up the trash. I'm, like, okay. No, he's good. He picked me off last week in two-minute drill, which was annoying. But we're both pretty competitive. It gets competitive on the golf course too. Q. Who talks more trash? ARCH MANNING: Probably him. Yeah, probably him. Q. Going back to being part of the renewal of the Lone Star Showdown, you come in and you experience that, scoring a touchdown, what do you remember from that game? And how much are you looking forward to it being in Austin this year? ARCH MANNING: It was a privilege to have that rivalry back. I'm glad I got to impact the game a little bit. They're a really good team. That was a big-time atmosphere. I'm looking forward to that game. I got to spend some time with Marcel at MPA. He's a really good guy and good player. We're fired up to play them again. Q. Big touchdown in a key situation in that game. How did moments of success like that maybe help prepare you stepping into the role you'll have this season? ARCH MANNING: Anytime you can get reps in the game and make an impact to help your team win, it definitely builds your confidence for the following year. I think I'm going to try to build on that. Q. You talked about your role models. Yesterday your grandfather's jersey was displayed as part of the Ole Miss shrine. And with your family name, you're about to have your chance to shine and create your own legacy. What's that look like for you? ARCH MANNING: It was cool seeing that. I think I came here maybe when it was just opening with my grandfather to watch the Ole Miss-Boise state game opening week. But it's been cool looking up to him and my uncles and my dad. I've always wanted to play in the SEC. It's been a blessing. Q. Your dad's Ole Miss rival, Archie's jersey's here, Uncle Eli. I know you're a Texas Longhorn. What's your relationship you grew up, and what's your relationship with Ole Miss now? ARCH MANNING: It's a little bit different we grew up going to games. We had a place in Oxford, and I'd spend a lot of the summer there and go to at least a game a year. Also, I guess not as much, but they got a really good coach and really good team. I spent time with Austin a few weeks ago. He's a good guy. He's got a hell of an arm. They're in for good a year. Q. Your uncles are notorious for having really strong self-deprecating humor. You've shown flashes of that. What's a Thanksgiving dinner like around the Manning family household, just everybody ripping on each other or what's that like? ARCH MANNING: I think we play A&M the day after Thanksgiving, so it won't be much. I'll probably be with the team. But growing up it was fun watching football -- it's pretty much like every other family -- watch football, eat a lot, maybe go outside and wrestle, I don't know. It was pretty basic. Nothing special. Q. Obviously your family name is big everywhere but in Louisiana it's very big. You're playing for Texas now. Do you feel like you're also representing Louisiana? What does Louisiana mean to you moving forward even though you're playing in the state of Texas? ARCH MANNING: I try to bring as much New Orleans style to Texas. I learned a lot growing up in New Orleans. Been around a lot of good players. We have some other guys from the state of Louisiana with me at Texas. It's been fun. Going back every year to Thibodaux, the New Orleans culture and Louisiana culture is second to none. So it's always fun going back. Q. Obviously you played a lot with Quinn Ewers here last year. Now that you're the starter, has he given you any advice? What have you learned from Quinn? ARCH MANNING: I learned so much from Quinn in my two years behind him. I think he handled it like a pro. It's definitely not easy having me as the backup with all the media. I'm forever grateful for him. I actually texted him the other week for advice on two-minute, what kind of plays he likes to start with. Q. You said you've always wanted to play in the SEC. How has Texas been able to transition so well successfully in the SEC in two years, in the first year? ARCH MANNING: I think it's a credit to Coach Sark and the way he's recruited and built the program. We have a bunch of good players, and follow his lead. This is a big-time conference. It's tough each week. But I think we've done a pretty good job. I'm hoping to carry that forward. Q. Do you think your mobility caught anybody by surprise last year? You can really move. ARCH MANNING: My dad was pretty fast. My mom was fast, too. She's competitive. I try to mix it up a little bit when I can. Q. What's the hardest thing you've had to deal with in your time at Texas and this offseason? ARCH MANNING: I think I would say probably from going -- I played -- this is not a really big deal, but I played every year in high school. It was 2-A high school. That doesn't mean anything. But from sitting out and not playing, that was pretty tough. I think more so now, just dealing with the media and stuff, I don't really care about all that. I'm just here to play football. That's kind of what I want my focus to be. Q. You and Garrett Nussmeier seem to have a pretty good relationship. How has it been? He's had one year as a starter under his belt. Have you all had those conversations or do you try to keep it away from ball? ARCH MANNING: No, Nuss was my roommate at that camp. I asked him probably 200 questions. I had no idea he was going to propose a week later. I'm excited for him. He's going to have a good year. They've got a good squad over there. Q. You talked about how hard it was not to play those first couple of years. Obviously we're in a different era of college sports where it's a super common thing to, okay, if I'm not playing right away I'm just going to go find somewhere I can play. Did that idea ever creep in? I have no doubt you had offers to do that, but was there ever any sort of consideration to do something like that? ARCH MANNING: No, that never really crossed my mind. I knew Texas was the place I wanted to be. It was the city I wanted to be in, a great education. I had friends there. I was still develop and growing as a football player and as a person. So I never really wanted to leave. If there was somewhere else I wanted to be, I would have gone.
USA Today
14-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
SEC football media days: Live updates from Day 1, headlined by LSU, Ole Miss
For years, the SEC marketed itself by with the tagline, "It just means more" — that is, the league's football product, which has produced the majority of national champions over the past 20 years, is so extraordinarily excellent and carries such an outsized importance that no other conference in college athletics can match it. Just how much does football mean to the league, exactly? In the SEC, media days — an event reserved for players and coaches to talk about how optimistic they are about the upcoming season and how everyone on the team is in the best shape of their life — stretches across four days. The 2025 edition of SEC media days will take place this week, beginning on Monday, July 14 from the College Football Hall of Fame and Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park. There, coaches and player representatives from each of the conference's 16 teams will discuss the impending 2025 season, offering at least a glimpse at what fans can expect in what may yet again be college football's deepest and most talented conference. As is often the case, the SEC won't be lacking in storylines. Alabama heads into its second season under Kalen DeBoer, who will look to overcome an underwhelming debut and offer some assurance he can keep the Crimson Tide close to what it was under Nick Saban. Texas will aim to follow up its College Football Playoff semifinal appearance last season, with Arch Manning making his highly anticipated turn as the Longhorns' starting quarterback. Georgia will try to win its third SEC championship in the past four years. Elsewhere, coaches at Oklahoma, Auburn, Arkansas, Florida and Kentucky will look to cool off their uncomfortably hot seats. USA TODAY Sports had updates and highlights from Day 1 at the SEC media days in 2025. Check them out below: SEC media days live updates This section will be updated throughout SEC media days. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey opened the first day of SEC Media Days by taking the podium. He called the SEC a "super conference," and then honored former head coach Mike Leach, journalist Bob Holt and the victims and first responders of the Texas Floods in his opening statement. SEC media days interview schedule Each day of SEC media days will highlight four teams from the conference, with players and the head coach from those squads speaking on a designated day. Here's a look at which teams will be appearing on each day of the event, with schools listed in alphabetical order, not the order in which their coach will be speaking at their press conference: Where are SEC media days 2025? The 2025 edition of SEC media days will be held at the College Football Hall of Fame and Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park in Atlanta. It will mark the third time since 2018 the event has been held in the Georgia capital, where the league stages its annual football conference championship game. SEC media days schedule Here's a look at the player representatives for each of the league's 16 teams at 2025 SEC media days, as well as the dates they'll be appearing: LSU Ole Miss South Carolina Vanderbilt Auburn Georgia Tennessee Texas Alabama Florida Mississippi State Oklahoma Arkansas Kentucky Missouri Texas A&M What channel are SEC media days on? All four days of SEC media days will air live on the SEC Network. ESPN2 will air one hour of the proceedings, from 8 p.m. ET until 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 15. Streaming options include the ESPN app (requires a TV provider login) and ESPN+, which requires a subscription. Another option is Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to potential subscribers. Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations. If you purchase through our links, the USA Today Network may earn a commission. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.
USA Today
13-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What Georgia Bulldogs are attending the 2025 SEC media days
The Georgia Bulldogs will take the stage at the 2025 SEC media days event at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday, July 15. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart will speak with the media in the morning along with Georgia's three player representatives. Georgia junior quarterback Gunner Stockton, junior linebacker C.J. Allen and senior cornerback Daylen Everette are Georgia's student-athlete attendees. Smart typically likes to bring experienced leaders to SEC media days and 2025 will be no different. Perhaps the most surprising Georgia attendee is Gunner Stockton, who has not even officially been named as the starter yet. Stockton's attendance could indicate that Georgia has significant confidence in the talented quarterback. Stockton previously gained a significant amount of experience with the media in the lead up to Georgia's College Football Playoff game in the Sugar Bowl against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Stockton is humble and probably won't make many headline quotes at the media event, which is what Kirby Smart prefers. The SEC Network will have live coverage of SEC media days, which runs from July 14-17.
USA Today
08-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 SEC media days schedule, what information fans need to know
The 2025 Southeastern Conference (SEC) media days event will be held at the College Football Hall of Fame and at the Omni Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, from July 14-17. The event features interviews with all 16 SEC football head coaches and key players from every team in college football's best conference. Additionally, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and SEC Coordinator of Officials John McDaid will speak to the media. The College Football Hall of Fame will be closed to fans during the media event, but fans can experience the event in the Quad (first floor) and the Team Store. Tickets or advance reservations aren't necessary for fans. Fans looking to visit the College Football Hall of Fame will be unable to do so from July 14-17. "Space is limited, and attendance is on a first-come, first-served basis," said the College Football Hall of Fame. "Early arrival is recommended to secure your spot." The SEC Network will provide significant live coverage of the event including "The Paul Finebaum Show". More information will be known about SEC media days including what players will attend the event and the time of day when coaches will speak with the media. Last year, the media correctly predicted that the Georgia Bulldogs would defeat the Texas Longhorns in the 2024 SEC championship game. What is the full 2025 SEC media days schedule? Monday, July 14 Tuesday, July 15 Wednesday, July 16 Thursday, July 18
