Texas football spring practice observations: Notes on Arch Manning, Christian Clark and more
Texas football began its spring drills on Tuesday at Denius Fields with the first of 15 practices permitted by the NCAA.
The Longhorns opened their doors to the media for a viewing period of about 20 minutes.
Here are four observations from the open period.
Texas football running back Christian Clark out and about amid injury recovery
The Longhorns weren't in pads for their first day of spring ball, and the drills during the open portion of practice were mostly executed against air.
Still, it was noteworthy that running back Christian Clark was present and accounted for, taking part in the drills with the rest of the Longhorns' running backs.
Clark lost his freshman season to an Achilles tear in 2024. He was ranked as the No. 23 running back in the 2024 recruiting class and tabbed as a four-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite.
Ryan Wingo among Texas football group catching punts
Texas finds itself in need of a new punt returner following the graduation of Silas Bolden, who handled all 30 punt returns for the Longhorns last year, including one he took back for a touchdown.
A group of four players were receiving instruction from the coaching staff on proper punt-catching technique during the open period. One of them was Ryan Wingo, who caught 29 passes for 472 yards last season and figures to be one of the most important members of the Texas offense in 2025.
Ryan Niblett, Daylan McCutcheon and Aaron Butler were also part of the group.
Arch Manning mania underway for the Longhorns
Surely this will be the only video of Arch Manning throwing a football posted by a Texas beat reporter today: pic.twitter.com/Rd8eOUGRQk
— David Eckert (@davideckert98) March 25, 2025
Most of the cameras present spent the majority of their time trained on No. 16 in black as the Arch Manning era began.
Manning, notably, took three pounds off his frame after playing at 225 pounds in 2024, according to an updated roster provided to the media. He wasn't perfect with his throws on Tuesday, but showed every bit of the arm talent that has him rated among the top candidates to win the Heisman Trophy in 2025.
The best throw he made during the open period was a deep post to sophomore wideout Parker Livingstone, which was weighted perfectly and hit Livingstone in stride.
A note on Texas DB Jaylon Guilbeau
The Longhorns lost standout corner Jahdae Barron to the NFL Draft, and it appears their plan to help replace his production might include asking for Jaylon Guilbeau to do something a bit different.
Guilbeau played 532 of his 691 defensive snaps last season as a slot corner, according to Pro Football Focus data. But he was lined up on the outside as a wide corner during a drill that took place during the open period.
Reach Texas Insider David Eckert via email at deckert@gannett.com. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Get access to all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Four things we learned from the first Texas football spring practice
Topics
-
Nate Johnson as a ‘Swiss army knife,’ Devon Dampier’s leadership and more observations from Utah’s spring practice
Here’s what we learned from Utah’s first spring practice viewing.Yahoo Sports - 32m -
Osceola Video: Highlights from FSU's first spring football practice
The Florida State football team kicked off spring practice Wednesday afternoon.While a change in FSU's media policy no longer allows media members to observe practice in person, FSU did provide a ...Yahoo Sports - 6d -
Defense shines in latest highlights from Texas A&M's third spring football practice
Texas A&M's third practice of the spring football season emphasized several new defenders and returnees making progress in various drills.Yahoo Sports - 4h -
Texas A&M Football Spring Practice Highlights as Marcel Reed Shines
Texas A&M’s third spring practice showcased Marcel Reed’s progress at quarterback and highlighted key player developments as the Aggies prepare for a strong 2025 season.Yahoo Sports - 4h -
3 takeaways from Syracuse Football's March 22 Spring Practice
Syracuse wrapped up their second spring practice of the season. The media was allowed to observe the WR again today, and one player that stood out was redshirt freshman Emanuel Ross. Ross played ...Yahoo Sports - 3d -
Everything Mike Elko had to say before the start of Texas A&M football's spring practices
Texas A&M HC Mike Elko addressed the media on Wednesday before the start of spring practice, set to start on Thursday, March 20.Yahoo Sports - 6d -
Here are 5 questions for UTEP football to answer as spring practice 2025 begins
As UTEP Miners football spring practices begins, progress of former five-star recruit Malachi Nelson will be a focal point.Yahoo Sports - Mar. 16 -
Jonah Williams update: Texas two-sport talent has baseball debut, but what about football?
Jonah Williams debuted in a run-ruled win over Sam Houston. Williams' debut came on the same day that Texas held its first spring football practices.Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman's post-practice press conference transcript
Here's everything the Irish head football coach had to say following the first of 15 ND practices this springYahoo Sports - 6d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Mock draft data for Arizona Cardinals
A look at what positions and players users are selecting for the Cardinals in mock draft simulations.Yahoo Sports - 17m -
Detroit Red Wings can't match Colorado Avalanche after scrambling to fill lineup
The Detroit Red Wings had to scramble to fill their lineup as they faced one of the league's elite teams. The Avalanche were too much.Yahoo Sports - 19m -
Japan display talent and ambition to scale new heights at World Cup
Japan have never gone beyond the last 16 at a World Cup but they have set themselves the ambitious target of winning next year's tournament after dominating in Asian qualifying."If we want to win ...Yahoo Sports - 21m -
Damian Lillard out indefinitely; who will step up for the Bucks?
An indefinite absence for the nine-time All-Star point guard is a big blow to Milwaukee in the playoff picture.Yahoo Sports - 21m -
Bane scores 21 and Grizzlies use dominant second half to dispatch Jazz, 140-103
Desmond Bane scored 21 points, Jaren Jackson had 19 and the Memphis Grizzlies, playing without Ja Morant, used a dominant second half for a 140-103 win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night. After ...Yahoo Sports - 24m
More in Sports
-
Who are the toughest first-round opponents for the Capitals, Jets?
The conference leaders meet Tuesday; what do their postseason paths look like? Plus, full playoff projections.ESPN - 8m -
Shambolic Brazil shown up by bitter rivals Argentina
Outpassed, outfought and thoroughly outcoached, Brazil plunges to new lows in humiliating 4-1 loss to bitter rivals Argentina on Tuesday.ESPN - 9m -
Tannenbaum plays GM for every NFL team in Round 1: Should the Giants still take a QB at No. 3?
Mike Tannenbaum puts his GM hat on and makes his own first-round selections. See why he's taking Cam Ward and Ashton Jeanty early.ESPN - 12m -
Sources: QB Wilson, Giants agree to 1-year deal
The Giants and free agent QB Russell Wilson reached agreement on a one-year deal worth up to $21 million, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The deal eliminates New York as a potential option this ...ESPN - 12m -
Sources: Diggs, Pats agree on 3-year, $69M deal
Stefon Diggs and the New England Patriots reached an agreement on a three-year, $69 million deal that includes $26 million guaranteed.ESPN - 12m