Texas followers desirous to see quarterback Arch Manning run the first-team offense will not get the chance this spring.
On Thursday, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian appeared on the “Up & Adams Present with Kay Adams” and instructed host Kay Adams that his group will not maintain a spring recreation on the finish of its April follow session.
Final yr, an estimated 40,000 folks attended the Texas spring recreation, according to CBS Sports.
“We’re not gonna have a spring recreation,” Sarkisian stated. “A few the explanation why. Over the past two years, we have performed 30 video games. That is quite a bit for school soccer. We have got lots of younger gamers on our roster. Now we have 21 mid-year high-school children that simply confirmed up.”
Sarkisian’s resolution additionally removes what would have been a media firestorm from his plate. Manning, the nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, is slated to take over because the group’s beginning quarterback after backing up Quinn Ewers from 2023-24.
Manning was the No. 1 general recruit of the 2023 high-school class and began two video games in 2024 as Ewers nursed an belly harm.
He gained each occasions, going 41-of-60 (68.3 %) and throwing for 583 yards (9.7 yards per try), 4 touchdowns and two interceptions.
Sarkisian’s resolution to cancel the Longhorns’ spring recreation follows Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule’s resolution to do the identical in Lincoln. It may very well be the beginning of a bigger development.
As Rhule stated when explaining his resolution in early February, with the spring switch portal window, the spring recreation is an invite for rival universities to poach gamers.
“The phrase ‘tampering’ does not exist anymore,” Rhule stated. “I do not essentially wish to open up the surface world and simply have folks watch our guys and say, ‘…Let’s go get him.'” (h/t Associated Press)
Texas is coming off its second consecutive journey to the Faculty Soccer Playoff semifinals. It was considered one of 4 groups to make the CFP in 2023 and gained two video games within the expanded 12-team playoff to achieve the semis in 2024.
Texas enters the 2025 season with loads of hype. All eyes would have been on this system’s spring recreation. On Thursday, Sarkisian instructed everybody to look elsewhere.
