Sports
Why Arch Manning leaving Texas after Quinn Ewers returned never would have made sense
On Jan. 11, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers posted a video to more than 200,000 followers on Instagram. In it, he signed a trading card with his face and added a message below.
“I’m coming back,” he wrote, holding the card up to the camera.
The top comment on the post?
“Yall gonna lose manning (sic),” it read, adding a pair of laughing emojis aimed at the Longhorns’ predicted misfortunes.
Manning, as in Arch Manning: five-star recruit, and the son of Cooper, nephew of Eli and Peyton and grandson of Archie. Ewers’ surprising decision was about chasing Texas’ first national title since 2005, but the commenter wasn’t alone in directing attention to college football’s most famous backup in an era in which there is no penalty for transferring.
Even before Ewers elected to return, Manning faced questions at the Sugar Bowl about whether he wanted to leave after barely seeing the field in his first season.
“It’s tough because you want to be out there playing with your boys,” Manning told The Athletic in July. “But 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,”
GO DEEPER
Arch Manning and other QBs explain decision to transfer or stay put
He made the same decision as Ewers: He was coming back. He was always coming back. Now, Manning is likely to make his first career start against Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday, as Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Ewers is questionable to play after straining his oblique against UTSA.
“Arch is just another guy on our team, and the reason I’m able to do that is because that’s who Arch is every day,” Sarkisian said Monday. “He’s the selfless teammate. He cares about the guys on the team. He cares about Quinn. They’ve got a great relationship. He works his tail off. He wants to play good football for them because he knows how hard everybody’s working.
“So I literally don’t address it with him. I don’t address it with the team. He’s just part of the team.”
Arch Manning threw for 223 yards and had five total TDs versus UTSA. (Tim Warner / Getty Images)
There was a time when quarterbacks seeing the field before their second or third year was an anomaly. Now, it’s an expectation, at least for five-star prospects. When Manning’s name never appeared in the transfer portal, he bucked a decade of trends among college quarterbacks.
Transfer portal decisions are unique to every player, but as Manning enters what is expected to be his first start, we’re seeing the reasons why leaving would introduce more questions than answers and present more problems than solutions.
Though Manning has thrown only 23 passes in four appearances since arriving in 2023, things have largely gone according to plan at Texas — even if winning the starting job was delayed by a year because of Ewers’ return. Manning is still one good season away from crystallizing his status as a first-round draft pick, and he has plenty of time to do it, with three years of eligibility remaining after this season. His path to the field became clearer when last year’s backup, Maalik Murphy, transferred to Duke, and another year working behind Ewers was only going to make the results better once it was time for his turn in the spotlight.
His growing pains have mostly been able to come in closed practices. They haven’t had to come in nationally televised games like young quarterbacks who are asked to be saviors like freshmen Dylan Raiola at Nebraska and DJ Lagway at Florida. But when he has been given the opportunity, he’s excelled. On Saturday, thrust into extended duty against an overmatched UTSA team, he threw a touchdown pass on his first attempt, scooted past a safety for a 67-yard touchdown run and finished with three more touchdown passes in a 56-7 blowout win.
GO DEEPER
With Quinn Ewers injured, Arch Manning tallies five TDs vs. UTSA
Now, if he starts Saturday, he’ll do it for a Texas team ranked No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time since 2008, when Colt McCoy was under center for the Longhorns. McCoy, by the way, didn’t play his first season at Texas either.
Since high school, everything the Mannings have done with Arch points to a big-picture approach, aiming for a lengthy NFL career, not the quickest path to the playing field or the best way to earn money from his fame in college. Manning’s recruitment was straight out of 1995: If you don’t have DMs, reporters and coaches can’t slide into them, and it’s easier for coaches and parents to control coaches’ access to you, too.
He’s a non-factor on social media. He barely spoke to reporters about his college decision, a family strategy borne out of a desire to allow him to live a more normal high school life. His family background affords him the ability to shrug off the obligations of chasing NIL money, as does his status as a likely NFL Draft pick after he does get on the field.
GO DEEPER
Arch Manning’s unique approach to recruiting
Now, his decision to stay patient in college is old-school, too. NIL money is the invisible hand guiding players into and out of the transfer portal, but the success that his family has enjoyed means money was never going to influence his decision. As of last December, his only NIL deal was an exclusive trading card partnership with Panini America, despite erroneous reports that he was earning millions as Texas’ third-string quarterback. After initially declining to be included, he elected to opt into his name, image and likeness being used in EA Sports’ College Football 25.
Manning has done little to nothing to “grow his brand” and yet the brand he was born with has made him one of the five biggest names in college football.
Ewers returned to Texas with national title aspirations in Texas’ first season in the SEC after reaching the College Football Playoff a season ago and narrowly losing to Washington in the semifinals. His faith in Sarkisian and the team returning to Austin has thus far been rewarded, and Manning saw the same thing.
If the program had been on shakier ground entering the SEC, it stands to reason Manning might have entertained entering the portal. But Texas is as strong as it’s been since the heyday of Mack Brown in the 2000s. Why would Manning leave and adjust to new coaches, a new play caller, a new offense and a new head coach for what would almost certainly be a worse team?
And there’s the uncomfortable reality that Ewers, who could be the first quarterback taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, has been one of the more injury-prone QBs in college football, even as he’s developed into one of the best. When he strained his oblique Saturday, he did it as the betting favorite for the Heisman Trophy. In 2022, he missed a shade under four games after injuring his shoulder in a close loss to Alabama. In 2023, he missed two Big 12 games with a sprained AC joint in his shoulder. Texas turned to Murphy to keep its Big 12 and national title hopes on track and survived an upset bid from Kansas State while Ewers healed.
Now, Ewers is injured again, and Manning looked like America’s best backup quarterback in relief against UTSA.
Regardless of Ewers’ readiness to play, handing Manning the keys for a game against ULM in which Texas is favored by 45 points is the prudent decision. The next two opponents, Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State, are unlikely to test the Longhorns, and Ewers seems likely to return by the time the national championship pressures increase when Texas’ date with Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown arrives on Oct. 12 before Georgia comes to town on Oct. 19.
When Ewers stayed for one more unexpected year in Austin, it was easy to expect Manning to act like every other quarterback and develop a drifting eye to find a new program. But Manning leaving Texas never made sense. His college football experience is not like every other quarterback’s.
Why wouldn’t his decision-making be different?
(Top illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos: Eric Gay / Associated Press; Tim Warner / Getty Images)
Sports
Lightning players wear full-padded Bucs uniforms, get Baker Mayfield escort before Stadium Series in Tampa
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Boston Bruins were being hosted by the Tampa Bay Lightning not in the usual Amalie Arena way on Sunday night, but rather at Raymond James Stadium — home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
So, before they hit the outdoor ice on a very chilly Tampa night, the Lightning players were spotted coming off the bus wearing throwback “Creamsicle” Bucs uniforms.
Pads, helmets and all.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Victor Hedman and the Tampa Bay Lightning dress in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers creamsicle jerseys and are joined by Tristan Wirfs as they travel to the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series game against the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Mark LoMoglio/NHLI)
Fans were cheering as the players, all with their numbers and last names on the back of the bright orange jerseys, made their way into the stadium for their clash with the Bruins.
It was a lot different than the regular blue, black and white jerseys the Lightning players are used to, but these throwback jerseys are a staple in the Tampa area. The Bucs still wear them today on occasion, though it used to be synonymous with losing when the franchise first began in 1976.
NEW NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY EXPLORES HOW THE ‘MIRACLE ON ICE’ UNITED AMERICA IN 1980
The Bucs were an expansion team, and they turned heads with their uniform color choice. However, they went a whopping 0-26 in them before finally coming away with a win in their second season.
And it wasn’t just the Lightning players the fans were cheering for. At the head of the pack were Bucs stars, quarterback Baker Mayfield and left tackle Tristan Wirfs, leading the way while wearing the actual blue sweater the hockey team would don on the ice at Raymond James Stadium.
Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning arrives prior to the 2026 NHL Stadium Series against the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the Bruins also had a football theme considering their fellow NFL team in New England is going to the Super Bowl in a week.
With the Patriots back in the “Big Game,” the Bruins showed up in full Patriots outfits, looking like our founding fathers as they got off the bus.
While the NHL and its teams are having fun with this Stadium Series game, both of these squads are coming into the contest on fire.
The Bruins and Lightning each own an 8-1-1 record over their last 10 games, and the Lightning own the Eastern Conference’s best record at 34-14-4. The Bruins are not too far behind, though, at 32-20-3.
David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins arrives dressed as a Colonial Patriot before the 2026 NHL Stadium Series game between the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Brian Babineau/NHLI)
Finally, hockey outdoors in Florida is usually conducive, but the NHL will actually need a heater to get the ice to the proper temperature as it’s an uncharacteristic 40 degrees on Sunday night.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
NEW YORK — Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of the Lakers’ acquisition of Luka Doncic.
Coach JJ Redick acknowledged he felt “stressed” knowing about the trade before the Lakers played the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden that night in 2025.
While his stress may have faded, Redick couldn’t have liked what he saw from the Lakers on the same floor one year later.
Despite a strong effort from Doncic, the Lakers struggled with their shooting and lost 112-100 to the Knicks on Sunday night.
After Landry Shamet made his second straight three-pointer to give the Knicks a 112-99 lead with 59.3 seconds left, Redick pulled his starters. The Lakers led 56-52 at halftime but were outscored 38-26 in the third quarter after New York went on a 15-5 run to take a 90-82 lead into the fourth quarter.
Doncic finished with 30 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Lakers’ 45% shooting from the field and 29% shooting from three-point range.
With the Lakers in sixth place in the uber-competitive Western Conference at 29-19, Doncic was asked where he thought they stood in their pursuit of an NBA championship.
“We’re in a good spot,” Doncic said. “Obviously, got some work to do. But I think today we obviously missed a lot of good looks, but I think we have a great group.”
LeBron James had 22 points, six assists and five rebounds, but he fell to 23-9 in regular-season games at Madison Square Garden, and the Lakers slipped to 4-3 on their season-high eight-game trip, which ends Tuesday in Brooklyn.
With the Lakers 5-5 in their last 10, James also reflected on where the team stands.
“I like this group, but we got to continue to get better,” James said. “And that’s good. We should want to get better. … We want to continue to get better and better. It’s a tough league.
“Like I said, it’s been tough all season as far as dealing with injuries. … Unfortunately our All-Star two-guard [Austin Reaves, calf injury] has been out for a minute and that’s a big piece of our team. So, it’s kind of hard to see what we can really, truly be.”
Deandre Ayton had 13 points and five rebounds, and Marcus Smart had seven points and three assists.
OG Anunoby had 25 points, eight rebounds and three assists to lead the Knicks (31-18), who have won six straight. Shamet scored 23 points off the bench, and Josh Hart had 20 points and four rebounds. Jalen Brunson finished with 12 points and a season-high 13 assists.
Before the game, James was named an All-Star for a record 22nd time.
LeBron James had 22 points, six assists and five rebounds against Josh Hart and the Knicks.
(John Munson / Associated Press)
“Obviously, super humbling,” James said. “Mad respect to the coaches and them seeing how I’m still playing at this latter stage of my career and to be able to be an All-Star. That means a lot to my family, my people that’ve been following my career, my LeBron faithful that’s been following my journey.
“It’s always rewarding just from a humble standpoint to be able to be rewarded for what you put your work into. So, it’s pretty cool.”
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The NFL coaching carousel came to an end on Sunday, as the Arizona Cardinals’ hire marked the last team to fill its vacancy.
The Cardinals announced the hiring of Mike LaFleur, the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator, on a five-year deal.
After it was reported Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will be taking the Las Vegas Raiders’ job following the result of Super Bowl LX, the final two head coaching spots left in the NFL were filled.
The rest of the coaching hires are as follows:
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur of the Los Angeles Rams looks on in the second half of the preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on Aug. 26, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Tyler Schank/Getty Images)
- New York Giants: John Harbaugh
- Atlanta Falcons: Kevin Stefanski
- Cleveland Browns: Todd Monken
- Buffalo Bills: Joe Brady
- Baltimore Ravens: Jesse Minter
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike McCarthy
- Miami Dolphins: Jeff Hafley
- Tennessee Titans: Robert Saleh
The Cardinals stayed in the division, poaching another coach from the coveted Sean McVay coaching tree. McVay has now had four offensive coordinators since he’s been head coach of the Rams.
RAIDERS ZEROING IN ON SEAHAWKS ASSISTANT KLINT KUBIASK FOR HEAD COACH: REPORTS
All four of them are now head coaches, including Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings), Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Matt LaFleur, Mike’s brother, who coaches the Green Bay Packers.
“We had the opportunity to speak with an outstanding group of candidates during this very thorough process and gathered tremendous insight from each of them,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said in a statement. “At the end of that process, it was clear that Mike LaFleur possesses all the traits necessary to lead this team to success as its head coach. He is highly intelligent with an exceptionally sharp, creative football mind. Mike is also a dynamic and innovative leader and exactly the type of person we were looking for to guide our team as its head coach.”
Head coach Sean McVay and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur of the Los Angeles Rams follow the joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers at The Bolt on Aug. 4, 2024 in El Segundo, California. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
General manager Monti Ossenfort added: “In his career, Mike has been around some of the best and brightest coaches in football and has been a key contributor to highly successful teams. He understands what winning football looks like and what it takes to achieve it. Mike is a strong communicator with a detail-oriented teaching style that has always gotten the best from his players and we are incredibly excited for him to bring that to the Cardinals.”
With LaFleur in Los Angeles, the Rams’ offense has been one of the best units in the league, ranking fifth in passing yards (244.9), first downs (21.4) and offensive touchdowns (144) since taking over the role. The Rams also averaged 361.8 yards per game, which ranks sixth in the NFL.
“I couldn’t be more fired up to become the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and am beyond grateful to Michael (Bidwill) and Monti (Ossenfort) for this opportunity. Having competed against them in the NFC so many times in recent years, I know the type of talent and toughness the team has and cannot wait to get to Arizona to hit the ground running,” LaFleur said in a statement.
Offensive Coordinator Mike LaFleur interacts with Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams prior to the NFL divisional playoff football game at Soldier Field on January 18, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kara Durrette/Getty Images) (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Before working with the Rams, LaFleur joined Saleh with the New York Jets, leading their offense in the same role. He was with Saleh in San Francisco under Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers regime as well.
With all head coach roles filled, the coaching dominoes will continue to fall as they build out their staffs for the 2026 NFL season, which will officially start next month.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Detroit man admits carjacking victim he met on X, says he ‘needed money’
This Week: San Mateo City Bike Lanes, Housing Barriers, Tenderloin – Streetsblog San Francisco
WPG@DAL Pregame: Glen Gulutzan | Dallas Stars
Miami man held without bond after roadside attack on woman, authorities say
Major carsharing service shutting Boston office and laying off dozens of staff
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Video: How Trump’s Tariffs Affected the Economy After One Year
Portland mayor demands ICE leave city after federal agents use tear gas on protesters ‘Sickening decisions’
Cuba denies security threat accusations as US raises pressure
Kennedy Center will close for 2 years for renovations in July, Trump says, after performers backlash
Government shutdowns may be fewer, but they’re increasingly disruptive
-
Massachusetts2 days agoTV star fisherman, crew all presumed dead after boat sinks off Massachusetts coast
-
Indiana16 hours ago13-year-old rider dies following incident at northwest Indiana BMX park
-
Tennessee2 days agoUPDATE: Ohio woman charged in shooting death of West TN deputy
-
Pennsylvania1 week agoRare ‘avalanche’ blocks Pennsylvania road during major snowstorm
-
Movie Reviews6 days agoVikram Prabhu’s Sirai Telugu Dubbed OTT Movie Review and Rating
-
Science1 week agoLAUSD says Pali High is safe for students to return to after fire. Some parents and experts have concerns
-
Politics1 week agoTrump’s playbook falters in crisis response to Minneapolis shooting
-
Austin, TX3 days ago
TEA is on board with almost all of Austin ISD’s turnaround plans
