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With the 2025 college football season rapidly approaching, the hype surrounding Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning only continues to grow.
In addition to the natural hype that comes with being the nephew of two NFL legends, Manning was also the top recruit in his class coming out of high school and has looked good in his limited action with the Longhorns. Some understandably have their doubts due to the small sample size, but most agree that his potential is sky-high.
However, his potential may not even be the highest in the SEC. In CBS Sports analyst Josh Pate's ranking of the top 10 SEC quarterbacks, which he described as "an expectation - not career achievement list," he ranked Manning at No. 2, behind Florida Gators star DJ Lagway.
Lagway, a sophomore from Willis, Texas, was essentially the Gators' savior last season. In 12 games, including seven starts, he completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,915 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Notably, he helped lead the Gators to late-season upsets over LSU and Ole Miss to help them become bowl-eligible despite facing one of the hardest schedules in the country.
For those wondering, no, he didn't play in the Longhorns' 49-17 home win over the Gators on Nov. 5. Aidan Warner started that game in place of an injured Lagway.
Lagway's stats may not jump off the paper, but he played with exceptional poise and composure for a true freshman. He's also a former five-star recruit who earned numerous accolades in high school, so he could become a legitimate superstar in time.
Is that enough to warrant him being ranked above Manning, who also had numerous high school accolades and possibly has even more potential? It's a tough call, but Lagway's slightly larger sample size could've been what influenced Pate's decision.
The two will meet in Gainesville on Oct. 4, the first SEC game of the season for the Longhorns, so they could settle the debate there.
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Three Areas of Improvement for Stanford Football
College football season is officially here. Starting this week, the Stanford Cardinal will open training camp and begin preparing for a long and grueling 2025 season. Starting their season a week earlier than usual, the Cardinal will look ahead to Week Zero and preparing for a road game in Hawaii. The mission for this season is to improve drastically and show that they are much better than last season's 3-9 record. But if the Cardinal want to show that they are ready to compete in a tough ACC, they must get better in many areas. Having largely a new-look roster going into the new campaign, the Cardinal have a lot more questions than answers but are confident that they can re-establish their identity rather quickly. Here are three areas that the Cardinal need to improve in order to see any sort of success in 2025. Offensive line Over the past few seasons, aside from a strong two seasons from Elic Ayomanor, the Cardinal struggled to really figure out who their star on offense was, with inconsistent quarterback play and a run game that hadn't had a 1,000 yard runner for years. The past two seasons, the Cardinal rushing attack has been led by their quarterbacks. Bryce Love ran for 2,118 yards back in 2017, and that's the last time a Stanford running back crossed the 1,000 yard threshold. And while on the surface that is a major issue, a large reason for that could be attributed to the struggles from the offensive line--particularly run blocking. Ranked in the bottom five of college football in run blocking for 2024, the Cardinal struggled to contain opposing defenses from coming through, creating issues with moving the ball. Interim head coach Frank Reich is an offensive guru and if the offensive line is able to tighten up a bit this season, the offense could see itself reach new heights. Running backs On paper, the running back room at Stanford is arguably its biggest strength this season, with multiple guys in Micah Ford, Chris Davis Jr. and Sedrick Irvin capable of being the workhorse and each showing just how talented they are. Reich's offense is well-balanced when it comes to utilizing the run and the pass, and the run game will have to be on point for his offense to run smoothly. Figuring out who will be the program's main back will be of utmost importance for him in the early going. A strong season on the ground not only opens up the offense more, but takes some of the burden off of the quarterback, which could make things easier this season for Stanford. Pass defense Last season, the defense showed flashes of brilliance, with good late game defense being a key reason why the Cardinal were able to pull off upsets over Syracuse and Louisville. But overall, Stanford's defense struggled mightily last season--especially when it came to defending the pass. Ranked at No. 116 for total defense, the Cardinal were ranked especially low as a pass defending unit, allowing an average of about 280 yards per game, with many offenses playing their best games against Stanford. The ACC is filled with offensive powerhouses and good quarterback play, making defense very important in this conference. Competing in the ACC will not be easy, but a good defensive team can make things much more interesting.
Seattle Storm Get Big Boost for Sky Game Amid Unexpected Angel Reese News
The Seattle Storm are looking to make things right after Tuesday’s 87-63 blowout loss to Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings. They get a chance to do so on Thursday when they return to action against the Chicago Sky in a road game at Wintrust Arena. The Storm got a big boost ahead of the Sky matchup, which comes in the form of seven-time All-Star Skylar Diggins returning to action after a one-game absence. After registering the first triple-double in WNBA All-Star Game history on Saturday, Diggins was unable to suit up against Dallas on Tuesday due to personal reasons. The 5-foot-9 guard was not listed on Seattle’s injury report for the Sky game, though, which means that Diggins should be back in the starting lineup come Thursday. This is a crucial development for the Storm, who will be looking to improve on their 14-10 record. In 23 games played this season, Diggins has produced averages of 17.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.5 triples per game. Chicago Sky List Angel Reese as Questionable to Play Against the Seattle Storm While the Storm got some good news ahead of Thursday’s clash, the same cannot be said for the Sky. This is after two-time All-Star forward Angel Reese was added to the injury report with a back problem. The silver lining is that Reese, who missed Chicago’s last game before the All-Star break with a leg injury, is listed as questionable to play, which means that there’s still a chance that she’s able to suit up against Seattle. Reese looked fine on Tuesday as Chicago suffered a 91-68 blowout loss to the Minnesota Lynx, posting an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. It is unclear exactly when Reese sustained the injury, but it has now placed her status against Seattle in jeopardy. It is worth noting that Michaela Onyenwere (knee) and Ariel Atkins (leg) have also been ruled out for the Storm game, as they continue to recover from respective injuries. This only means that Chicago will be significantly shorthanded on Thursday, especially if Reese also ends up sitting out.
Bengals finally reach agreement with first-rounder Shemar Stewart
The Cincinnati Bengals have finally reached an agreement with first-round pick Shemar Stewart, putting an end to what became the story of the offseason for the team. Stewart, drafted 17th overall in this year's draft, has finally agreed to a four-year, fully guaranteed $18.97 million deal that includes a $10.4 million signing bonus, according to his agent Zac Hiller of LAA. Now with this deal done, every first-round pick is signed. The road to this deal was a bumpy ride. For months, negotiations between Stewart’s camp and the Bengals front office stalled due to disagreements over contract language, particularly around guarantees. The team pushed to include contract language that could void the deal under certain off-field circumstances, but since other Bengals first-round picks did not face similar terms, Stewart stood firm and refused to sign. Both sides remained firm throughout the offseason, leading to a long standoff and a lot of reports of frustration from both sides. Despite the frustration and disagreement, the Bengals and Stewart’s group continued to engage in conversations, trying to find a resolution to the issue. And finally, after weeks of back and forth and weeks of controversy surrounding what Stewart may be forced to do, both parties appear to have met in the middle and found common ground. For the Bengals, getting Stewart signed and ready for training camp is a major win. Stewart was viewed as a developmental prospect who needed plenty of on-field reps to reach his full potential. Stewart's absence from earlier camps had slowed a lot of his progress. With the contract dispute resolved, he can now focus entirely on gaining important reps and continuing his development over the coming weeks. Now with this contract done and over with, the team can put their full focus on Trey Hendrickson, who is also seeking a long term deal. If the Bengals can get a deal done with Trey before the season kicks off, they would secure their edge-rushing room for not only 2025, but for years beyond. For a team looking to go all in on making the playoffs, signing Stewart was long overdue. Now it will be vital for the team to get Stewart up to speed with the rest of the roster, and allow him to get as many reps as possible before the 2025 season begins.
NBA Insider Reveals Why Bradley Beal Spurned Lakers for Clippers
The Los Angeles Lakers have been looking to improve their roster this offseason after falling to get out of the first round of the playoffs. They were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in just five games. Los Angeles was trying to sign Bradley Beal once he was waived by the Phoenix Suns, but he spurned them for the crosstown rivals. He ended up signing with the Clippers instead. The two LA teams weren't the only teams who were pursuing Beal, but those two may have been the frontrunners. One NBA insider revealed why he chose the Clippers instead of the Lakers. More news: Former Lakers Star Shaquille O’Neal on NBA All-Star: ‘I F---ing Hate’ Him According to Brett Sigel of ClutchPoints, Beal didn't have much interest in the Lakers once they revealed that they wanted him to be their sixth man and come off the bench. The primary reason why Beal signed with the Clippers is because of the fact that he has a chance to start for them. Beal clearly believes that he is still a starting-caliber player. This past season, the Suns demoted Beal to the bench after a stretch of poor play and a lot of missed games due to injuries. He's looking to have a better year with the Clippers. Los Angeles wasn't going to demote Austin Reaves to the bench after he set career-highs in almost every statistical category. He has certainly earned his starting spot. Luka Doncic is the other starting guard, and he's certainly not going to be coming off the bench. Beal thinks he's got a better shot to start with the Clippers, so that's why he's there. More news: 3 Players Lakers Should Have Signed to BAE Instead of Marcus Smart Los Angeles decided to pivot and sign Marcus Smart instead. He should help them with the perimeter defense off the bench, which is what they need the most at the moment. Smart is a much better defender than Beal is, if he can stay healthy. Both Smart and Beal have had issues staying healthy and staying on the court. The Lakers are betting that Smart's health will be better. This past season with the Suns, Beal averaged 17 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. More news: Lakers Receive Massive Jarred Vanderbilt Update Ahead of Upcoming Season For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
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