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USA Today
5 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Everything Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson said at the 2025 Manning Passing Academy
Simpson talks expectations for 2025, taking over for Jalen Milroe at QB, what he's trying to improve on, Ryan Grubb's arrival as offensive coordinator, and more. Every summer, some of the top college football quarterbacks in America descend on the town of Thibodaux, Louisiana and the expansive acreage at Nicholls State University for the Manning Passing Academy. The annual camp, launched in 1996 by college football icon and family patriarch Archie Manning, hosts rising quarterbacks from all over the nation, as well as high school players who travel from as far north as Canada. Mr. Manning said Friday that "around 1,450" individual campers and 48 starting college quarterbacks were in attendance at this year's camp. Some of the more notable names that have appeared at the Manning camp in years past include Heisman Trophy winners Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels. Through the years, numerous Alabama quarterbacks have also made the trip to Thibodaux, including Heisman winner Bryce Young, Jalen Milroe, Jalen Hurts, A.J. McCarron in 2011-13, and Greg McElroy. Ty Simpson, named Alabama's starting QB coming out of spring practice this year, made an appearance at the Mannings' annual "finishing school" on Friday. LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, Texas Longhorns' starter Arch Manning, and South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers were among the SEC quarterbacks also on hand. Here's everything Ty Simpson said during Friday's media availability session with reporters at the 2025 Manning Passing Academy. Simpson on transition at quarterback and Alabama's confidence heading into 2025 "I just feel like we're a very close group. Everybody hangs out with everybody when we don't have football going on, and I feel like we're hungry and have a chip on our shoulder. The Alabama Standard wasn't (there) last year, losing three or four games, and we understand that. This offseason has been very, very hard, one of the hardest ones out of my four years there at 'Bama. We understand that, hey, we need to bring this physicality back in the Alabama Way. So that's what we're trying to do and what our plan is in this upcoming season." Simpson on his career path and staying at Alabama "I'm not going to sit here and say it wasn't hard because there were some days where I felt like God wasn't on my side and I didn't really understand his plan. But I prayed about it and at the end of the day, there wasn't anywhere else where I wanted to play. I felt that God had put me in Tuscaloosa for a reason. I always felt that I could accomplish everything that I could still to this day, with winning a national championship and being a first-round pick at the University of Alabama. And I couldn't leave my friends and teammates. "Some of my best friends who are going to be in my wedding one day are my teammates at the University of Alabama. Seeing them on a different sideline, it just didn't feel right to me, so with Coach Saban's guidance and the guys who are on the team and go to school there, there was nowhere else I would rather be than the University of Alabama and Tuscaloosa." Simpson on the importance of setting a tone in Week 1 against Florida State "It's a big game. One, it's the first game of the season against a really good team with Florida State and Gus Malzahn, Coach Norvell and their good defense. It's going to be a good atmosphere, and in (order) to go 2-0, you've got to go 1-0 first. So we're going to go down there, do our job and make sure we come out with a win." Simpson on what would make for a successful 2025 season "Just be consistent every day. Just try to make sure that we take care of the small things and do our job and understand our task at hand. We can't look forward to another game or another quarter without making sure that we take care of everything at first. Understand that the moment's never too big and to always fall back on our training in critical moments. We're going to be in a lot of big time games this year with going down to Athens, playing LSU at home, Auburn and Oklahoma. We've got some very good teams in the SEC. It's always hard. Just understand that there's always going to be critical times in the game and to never let the moment get too big. Just understand that we've trained for this and we understand everything that's going on. So just make sure that you calmly and collectively do your role." Simpson on what he tried to learn from other college QBs, plus Peyton and Eli Manning "This was on my bucket list. One, being able to represent the University of Alabama here at this prestigious camp has always been a dream of mine. I talked to Peyton and Eli and Archie just about some stuff that they've dealt with, the advice they would give me. But also being able to hang out with the fellas, like Arch and Nuss and Walker Howard, Luke Altmyer. I've known those guys since I've been in high school. We've always kept in touch, so being able to come back and hang out with each other again is always awesome. We've been messing around the dorms and went on a late-night Walmart run last night. Being able to hang out with the guys before the season, it's great. I really appreciate the invite." Simpson on taking over for Jalen Milroe at quarterback "It's been awesome. It's what I've dreamed of. It's what I stayed here for at the University of Alabama. I'm just excited. I love all my teammates and those guys have worked hard, so I just need to do my part and make sure that they have confidence in me to know that I'm going to do everything that I can to make sure that we win the game." Simpson on Milroe's performance the past two years "Jalen is a tough dude, man. I saw some hits on the sideline. I was like, 'I don't know how he got up from that.' And just how athletic and how freakish he was. Not only that, being able to beat defenses with his legs but also making defenses stay true to their zone tendencies and be able to throw it over their heads. I learned a lot from Jalen. He's one of the best I've ever seen to take care of his body. He was always in there at 5 in the morning and taking care of his body in the cold tub or getting treatment. That's something I've kind of taken now as the oldest guy in the room of getting there first and making sure I take care of my body so that I can be able to perform on Saturdays and be able to be the best guy I can be." Simpson on what it's like replacing Milroe as starting QB "It's big shoes to fill. You ask Jalen the same thing, I'm sure he felt the same way with Bryce being the first overall pick and the Heisman (winner). So I can't thank those guys enough because I wouldn't be here if it weren't for them. Learning from Bryce, learning from Jalen, and I know if I text them anytime that they would give me advice. I just hope I make them proud and that I carry on the legacy, but also understand that I'm just going to be myself and play football." Simpson on what makes him the choice to replace Milroe at QB "I feel like I'm going to be tough. I'm going to be accurate. I'm going to make sure that we give our offense the best chance to win in any situation. I feel like I've waited my turn and I've learned a lot from those guys, and I understand with my dad being a coach. I've got a mind for football, and I'm just excited to be able to play for the university that I love, the friendly people that I love and with the people that I love." Simpson on his relationship with LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier: "Garrett's a good friend of mine. I was telling somebody earlier that we go back to the high school days. I think it was a QB collective and also being able to talk about his journey and my journey being very similar; about staying and waiting his turn. He's from Lake Charles and going to (LSU) and making sure he gets to play for he university that he loves is the same thing as me. "Going to Alabama, Coach Saban retiring and understanding what I'm going to do. Trust in God through the process and understanding that there's nowhere else I would want to go... Being able to play against him this year, being able to talk to him. Garrett's a great guy. I appreciate him and his dad and his brother, his whole family." Simpson on his thoughts about facing LSU this season "It's going to be a good game. This game is at home. Last year, it was loud. I know 'College GameDay' was there, so it was an interesting game. It was raining, so I'm looking forward to it. They've got a great defense coming back. I know (LSU offensive coordinator Joe Sloan) does a good job on offense, and Coach Kelly did a good job from Notre Dame and coming to LSU. When you always have a good quarterback like Nuss, it's going to be a challenge so I'm looking forward to it. It's something I've dreamed about, playing Alabama vs. LSU. Who wouldn't want to play in a game like that? Hopefully 'College GameDay' will be there. It's going to be a great game." Simpson on what he tells people about Alabama in 2025 "We're going to be the most physical team, but also the most close-knit team because we're gonna play together. We're gonna play as one, but also we're going to hit you in the mouth. Offensively, we're gonna be very explosive and make guys cover every inch of the field. We've got a great line coming back with Parker Brailsford, Geno, Kam Dewberry transferring in, (Kadyn Proctor) at the left tackle. Wilkin Formby, Olaus (Alinen) is coming along and Jaeden Roberts. Those guys are machines up there. "Then all the wideouts -- Ryan Williams, Isaiah (Horton), Germ (Germie Bernard), Rico (Scott), freshmen who nobody knows about yet. And then our running backs, they've done a great job. I'm looking forward to this team." Simpson on what he's trying to improve on in 2025 "I'm just trying to be the best guy that I can be. I'm trying to make sure that guys come together and play as one, but also understand that we've got to be consistent and we've got to be tough and make sure that guys cover every inch of us." Simpson shares his thoughts about first-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb "Ryan Grubb, he's the man. Being consistent every day and bringing that high intensity, I'm looking forward to him calling the plays this fall. I've learned so much football from him so I can't thank him enough." Simpson on any differences between Ryan Grubb, Nick Sheridan so far "No. He's going to bring his NFL stuff and being able to be on the same page with Coach Sheridan, Coach DeBoer, I can't thank those guys enough. They've done a great job and have been very professional about it all." Simpson on staff meetings at Manning camp, closeness with counselors "It's been a great experience, being able to represent my university here at this prestigious camp and being able to see guys that I haven't seen in a long while or even met before. I think about how me and Walker Howard and Luke Altmyer have been friends. Actually our dads were friends before that. Being able to hang out with those guys, and I've known Arch and Nuss for a long time. Meeting guys like LaNorris Sellers and guys who will play this year, it's been great." Transcript courtesy of videos shared by WGNO-TV in New Orleans and Crescent City Sports. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama Crimson Tide news, notes and opinions.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Arch Manning Says he Can Take Shots at the Bar if he Wants
Arch Manning Says he Can Take Shots at the Bar if he Wants originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Quarterback phenom Arch Manning is the total package. His talent and potential on the field is clearly evident, but Texas' new starting signal-caller also appears to have a kind demeanor off the field and is excellent with fans and media. The cherry on top is that he's quite the jokester. Advertisement When speaking to the media at the Manning Passing Academy on Friday, Arch discussed how he manages life in the spotlight. One reporter asked Manning how careful he is with going out to a bar for example, knowing he could potentially be videoed anywhere he goes. "I'm 21 so I can do shots at a bar," Manning joked back. He eventually expressed how he and other Texas football players are busy most of the time so they prefer to hang at the house. "All the other stuff is fun but it's not my ideal time," he said. Manning, who is entering his first season as the full-time starter at Texas, was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 recruiting class but sat behind Quinn Ewers on the depth chart the last two years. Advertisement "I learned a lot, and really learned a lot about myself,' Manning said on sitting his first two collegiate seasons. 'Picked up a lot from Quinn's (Ewers) game, the way he handled everything. Whether it was on the football side, the mental side, and the media, I just picked up bits and pieces to add to my game and learned a lot over the last two years. Plus, I had that time to grow as a person and a player.' Texas will kick off the 2025 season in Columbus against Ohio State on Aug. 30. It should be a fun season on and off the field for Longhorns fans. Related: Steve Sarkisian Delivers Confident Message on Season Opener at Ohio State This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, Arch Manning star in Raising Cane's ad
'At least your dad didn't move to Louisiana and start calling plays' This is a fun one. Louisiana football royalty descended on Thibodeaux this week for the Manning Passing Academy, with legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning joining his sons Peyton, Eli, and Cooper and grandson Arch for an opportunity to mentor the next generation of passers. On the way, several members of the Manning family stopped by the Baton Rouge-based Raising Cane's to put in a celebrity "shift" and pulled into the drive-thru to cut a commercial. You can see it for yourself here, but they weren't alone. Raising Cane's founder Todd Graves, a popular pick among fans to buy the Saints should owner Gayle Benson ever put them up for sale, sat in the back seat with LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Grandfather Archie questioned grandson Arch as to whether his Super Bowl-winning uncles Peyton and Eli were going too hard on him; the younger Manning and Nussmeier roomed together this week as counselors at the clinic. "Tell me about it. At least your dad didn't move to Louisiana and start calling plays," quipped Nussmeier, son of new Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier. That's when Arch's father Cooper leaned in from the drive-thru window to remind his son to order with a "please" and "thank you," while telling Nussmeier that his father already called in his order: "He doesn't trust your judgment." Rookie Saints quarterback Tyler Shough is also working at the event as a counselor, and he's the first to do so after going pro. With almost 1,500 high school quarterbacks in attendance, the Mannings could use all the help they can get. As for Graves? Between all this high-maintenance bickering among quarterbacks, he joked that he needs "to start hanging out with linemen." We're guessing Erik McCoy and Cameron Jordan would be more than happy to show him around town.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Arch Manning Q&A: Life as Texas' QB1, advice from Matthew McConaughey and more
THIBODAUX, La. — You'd think LSU's starting quarterback would be recognized walking into a Walmart less than an hour away from Baton Rouge. That didn't happen Thursday. But patrons recognized the person Garrett Nussmeier walked in with … Arch Manning. While professing his love for Nussmeier on Friday after a boiling hot first day of the Manning Passing Academy, Manning exposed how the two quarterbacks and camp counselor roommates left their dorm rooms at Nicholls State the night before on a Walmart run. Advertisement When asked if no one in Thibodaux knew who they were, Manning humbly said shoppers asked for pictures, but 'it was good.' By the end of the Friday's interview session, Nussmeier had been asked four times about the duo's excursion to Walmart. It wasn't exactly the topic Nussmeier thought he'd be asked about repeatedly. 'Everybody keeps asking me about Walmart,' Nussmeier said with a smile. 'It's just a typical Louisiana Walmart. There wasn't a lot of things on the shelves. But we got what we needed and we got out. Just picking up some bedding, things like that.' Who paid? 'Dude, the dude pulled his card out,' Nussmeier said. 'I'm like, 'Give me your Venmo, bro!' We've got it settled now. But all right, Arch. Is that what we're doing?' And back to the 'being recognized' part: When asked if they were recognized, Nussmeier bluntly said, 'He was!' 'This is hilarious. This is the first time in Louisiana where this has kind of happened,' Nussmeier said. 'We were just laughing. (People) come over, 'Hey Arch! Arch! Can I get a picture?' I'm just sitting in the background like 'Hey guys!'' Was Nussmeier asked to take the picture? 'No, but that would've been hilarious,' Nussmeier said. 'I would've LOVED to take the picture!' Thursday's Walmart experience encapsulated Manning's life as the most recognizable college athlete in the country. So how prepared is he for everything that comes with being the next Manning quarterback? 'Who knows? I think I'm ready. Just be prepared,' Manning said. Amid the backdrop of the longtime mid-summer football camp with grandfather Archie, uncles Peyton and Eli and father Cooper, Arch sat back and fielded questions for the 30-minute media session without another notable quarterback within shouting distance in Thibodaux or Austin: former Texas starter Quinn Ewers, whose departure has cleared the way for Arch to start this season. Advertisement Here's a selection of questions Manning answered from reporters during Friday's session: What's your first memory of the Manning Passing Academy? I grew up as a young kid, like 4 or 5 years old, just kind of hanging around with my dad. And then I was a camper. I think I started camping when I was going into seventh grade, staying in the dorms with all my buddies, playing 7-on-7. Being around guys like Jake Fromm and Trevor Lawrence, my counselors. So it's been fun all the way up. Now being a coach, it's been a blessing. It's a family reunion, so it's been fun every summer and I look forward to it each year. Have your camp duties changed? Have they made you get footballs through the years and then you graduated? I've gone from waterboy to camper to coach. So I've climbed the ladder. How are you managing the sky-high expectations this year? Yeah, I'm just doing what I can to control what I can control. I'm not really worried about what other people think. Just get my job prepared. And when it's time to go play, go play. You're used to playing and you've had to work behind Ewers and now you're the guy that's going to be starting. How have you handled that and learned throughout the way? Yeah, I've learned a lot, a lot about myself. Picked up a lot from Quinn's game and just how he handled everything, whether it was on the football side of it, the mental piece, the media. And just take bits and pieces and try to add my game. I learned a lot over the last two years. I'm blessed I had that time to grow as a person and a player. What's it like to be a student at Texas? I drive to class because classes are far away. But the parking tickets, it's crazy. But everyone's super nice, especially when we're winning. Class is good. I like going to class, change it up. Get out of the facility a little bit. New scenery, so it's been good. It's been an awesome experience. Advertisement How many parking tickets? I've got a few parking tickets. I've got to Venmo my dad because he gets them. How often do you get stopped when you do walk around campus? A pretty good amount just because we've got passionate fans, but you know that's what you signed up for and just got to deal with that. What's the weirdest interaction you've had? I've got a bunch. I would say probably holding someone's pet (a dog) for a picture. How do you kind of know what you need to work on with only limited game action? I think we do a good job of getting game-like reps in practice. So the coaches are on us and constantly getting better and continue to grow and grow as a leader, which I'm trying to do right now. So it's a constant grind of getting better. You've been a public figure pretty much since eighth grade. How do you think about that? I don't think about it at all. I just go about my daily life. I'm just a normal guy, have fun, hang out with the fellas, play football. Can you actually be a normal guy? Yeah! Hell yeah! That's a good thing about Austin. It's not like Ty Simpson or Gunner Stockton in Alabama and Georgia (respectively) where the town rallies around it. I can go to parts of Austin where no one really cares about me, which is nice. What are some of the things you have worked on to gear up for Week 1 at Ohio State? I think especially this offseason, just my leadership skills and getting the guys to rally around me and play for me and serve them. … You're a little bit behind the scenes trying to talk to guys 1-on-1 (when Ewers was the starter). But this year, it's nice. You're full-throttle and be the guy and I'm blessed to be in this position. Family aside, who do you watch? Who do you study? Which quarterbacks do you kind of take bits and pieces from? I watch a lot of Joe Burrow and Josh Allen. Those are my guys. Obviously (Patrick) Mahomes. I like to take bits and pieces of everyone and I like watching the other guys, other great players. … I remember watching Josh Allen when he was at Wyoming here. And he could throw it 75 yards. … Joe Burrow, he's got all the swag and the style. I don't think I've got as much as him. Advertisement You haven't even been a Week 1 starter, but people are saying you can be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft next year. How do you process that? Deal with that? Yeah, I really don't pay much attention to anyone, what they think besides my coaches, my parents and some close friends that will tell me the truth. But I'm not worried about what other people think. I'm just going to go out there and have fun and play my game. What's your relationship like with your grandfather (Archie)? We're really close. He came over the house all the time, went to all my practices in high school. He texts me every single morning, no matter what. He's just the perfect role model for me and such a great guy, and this camp kind of shows the person he is. … Yeah, he texts all the grandkids every morning, motivational Bible verse. And then he'll text me, 'How did practice go?' I get a lot of texts from him (laughs). He can't hear well, so he has to text. If you go out in Austin, how many picture requests do you get? A few. It depends on the night, but I stay pretty low key. … I had to get used to it a little bit. I've actually talked to Matthew McConaughey about that. He's given me some advice. He's been great to have in my corner. … He just told me different ways on how to handle things in different situations. He's way more known than I am, so it's good anytime you get advice from him. … He kind of told me you still have to live your life. He says he goes to the grocery store, walks down every aisle and he lives his life. You can't let you taking a picture or signing an autograph affect your life. What do you feel like is the best thing you're doing right now on the field? I don't know because whenever I think I've got a handle on something, the next day I'll throw three picks. So I like to kind of right in the middle. … You feel like then you've got to be the JV quarterback and you're not even starting varsity. You've just got to stay level.
USA Today
21-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Two UNC quarterbacks earn prestigious offseason camp invites
UNC's two starting quarterback candidates will spend their summers at a exclusive academy. The North Carolina Tar Heels enter their 2025 football season with plenty of hype, but also without a clear-cut answer at starting quarterback. UNC began 2024 with Max Johnson, but he broke his leg in the opener at Minnesota. North Carolina then started Conner Harrell for a few games, but Jacolby Criswell quickly took over after proving to be more effective. The Tar Heels were extremely active in the transfer portal, adding talented South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez. There's no telling yet whether Johnson or Lopez earns the starting nod, but a quarterback competition is certainly brewing in Chapel Hill. As Johnson and Lopez continue competing for North Carolina's QB1 spot, they recently received some exciting news, with both earning invites to the prestigious Manning Passing Academy from June 26-29. If the name doesn't give it away, the Manning Passing Academy is run by – you guessed it – Peyton, Eli and Archie Manning. Peyton is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Eli won two Super Bowls against Tom Brady and Archie is their dad. Johnson brought four seasons of experience as an SEC starting quarterback into Chapel Hill, so he gives UNC the more experienced option. Lopez thrived during 2024, his first year as South Alabama's starter: 2,559 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, 465 rushing yards and seven additional scores on the ground. It's a pretty big deal for quarterbacks to receive Manning Passing Academy invites. North Carolina is in big need of consistent quarterback production this coming fall – are Johnson and Lopez ready to step up? Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
