LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier and Tulane’s Michael Pratt are among the 45 college quarterbacks expected to work as camp counselors at the Manning Passing Academy later this month.
LSU and Texas are the only schools with two quarterbacks scheduled to attend the prestigious camp, which will be held June 22-25 at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux.
Arch Manning, the former Newman standout who is in his freshman year at Texas, is also scheduled to work as a counselor on a limited basis after spending years at the event as a camper. Quinn Ewers, the Longhorns' starting quarterback and a projected NFL prospect, also has committed to attend.
The Manning Passing Academy regularly attracts the top quarterbacks in college football to serve as counselors for the junior high and high school quarterbacks who attend the practices, film sessions and lectures.
Drake Maye (North Carolina), Michael Penix (Washington) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) are among the top NFL prospects on the counselor list. Sanders is the son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders.
Myles Crawley (Grambling), Pat McQuaide (Nicholls State), Eli Sawyer (Southeastern Louisiana) and Ben Wooldridge (UL) are among the quarterbacks from other state schools on the invite list.
Pratt, who led Tulane to its most successful season in decades and is being campaigned for the Heisman Trophy, is one of 14 returning quarterbacks from last year's camp.
Daniels and Nussmeier are attending the camp for the first time. Daniels, LSU's returning starter, led the Tigers to a 10-4 record and SEC West title last year. Nussmeier, a sophomore, impressed with more playing time in the postseason.
One notable omission is 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams of Southern Cal, who had off-field commitments that conflicted with the camp schedule, Archie Manning said.
"We've still got an outstanding group," said Manning, the camp's executive director and co-founder. "I've had more requests to attend the camp than I’ve ever had. I wish I could invite them all. We’ll never have a shortage of quarterbacks."
Three generations of Mannings will participate in the camp, which is expected to have a record attendance of almost 1,500 participants. In addition to Arch and Archie's famous sons — Cooper, Peyton and Eli — Peyton's 12-year-old son, Marshall, will participate in the camp.
"In all these years, neither Cooper nor Peyton nor Eli has missed one minute of the camp," Archie Manning said. "And 80% of the coaching staff has been with us for 15 to 20 years. That's something we're proud of."
For the first time in the camp's 27-year history, Buddy Teevens will not help run the camp as a senior member of the executive staff. The Dartmouth head coach who helped start the camp with Manning when Teevens was the head coach at Tulane is in Atlanta, recovering from injuries he suffered in a bicycling accident March 16.
"It won't be the same without Buddy," Manning said. "Everyone else is going to have to step up to fill his shoes."
As always, the highlight of the camp is the Friday Night Lights skills competition among the college quarterbacks at 8:30 p.m. Friday at John L Guidry Stadium. The college quarterbacks compete in a series of drills to gauge their accuracy, arm strength and route throwing versatility. The event is open to the public. Admission is $15.
The list of invited quarterbacks represents almost every level of college football, from all five FBS Power Five conferences to NCAA Division III Wabash College.
Here’s the full invite list of college quarterbacks:
Drew Allar, Penn State
Luke Altmyer, Illinois
Carter Bradley, South Alabama
Michael Brescia, Colgate
Doug Brumfield, UNLV
Hudson Card, Purdue
Brady Cook, Missouri
Myles Crawley, Grambling
Jayden Daniels, LSU
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Jayden de Laura, Arizona
Quinn Ewers, Texas
DeQuan Finn, Toledo
Mason Garcia, East Carolina
Frank Harris, Texas-San Antonio
Layne Hatcher, Ball State
Michael Hiers, Samford
Seth Henigan, Memphis
Nick Howard, Dartmouth
Devin Leary, Kentucky
Riley Leonard, Duke
Arch Manning, Texas
Drake Maye, North Carolina
Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
Parker McKinley, Eastern Kentucky
Pat McQuaide, Nicholls State
Joe Milton, Tennessee
Emmett Morehead, Boston College
Chandler Morris, Texas Christian
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Michael Penix, Washington
John Rhys Plumlee, Central Florida
Michael Pratt, Tulane
Drew Pyne, Arizona State
Austin Reed, Western Kentucky
Cameron Rising, Utah
Will Rogers, Mississippi State
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Eli Sawyer, Southeastern Louisiana
Liam Thompson, Wabash
Ty Thompson, Oregon
Jordan Travis, Florida State
Tyler Van Dyke, Miami
Cameron Ward, Washington State
Ben Wooldridge, UL
