Football
Since its inception in 1996, the Manning Passing Academy has enhanced the on-and-off-the-field skills of more than 30,000 high school quarterbacks and receivers.
Eli and Cooper Manning join the college quarterbacks at the 2025 Manning Passing Academy.
More than 1,400 high school quarterbacks and receivers will gather on the campus of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, June 25-28, for the 30th edition of the Manning Passing Academy (MPA). What began three decades ago with just 185 campers at Tulane University has grown into one of the nation’s premier instructional football camps while remaining true to its original mission: making the game more enjoyable for young athletes.
“Archie Manning and his family have created far more than a football camp; they’ve built one of the most impactful developmental experiences in the game,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “The Manning Passing Academy combines elite instruction from many of the nation’s top college players with leadership development and life lessons, helping young athletes grow both on and off the field. It’s a truly special experience and a powerful example of football at its very best.”
Each summer, many of college football’s top players return to South Louisiana to serve as camp counselors, mentoring the next generation while sharpening their own leadership skills. The academy has become an annual gathering place for many of the game’s brightest stars, creating a unique environment where high school athletes can learn directly from some of college football’s elite performers.
This year’s counselor roster will once again feature an impressive collection of standout signal-callers from across the country, including Steve Angeli (Syracuse), Bear Bachmeier (BYU), CJ Bailey (NC State), Ryan Browne (Purdue), CJ Carr (Notre Dame), Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss), Noah Fifita (Arizona), Kevin Jennings (SMU), Kyle Lowe (Southeastern Louisiana), Jayden Maiava (USC), John Mateer (Oklahoma), Owen McCown (UTSA), Alberto Mendoza (Georgia Tech), Arch Manning (Texas), Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (Cal), Julian Sayin (Ohio State), Gunner Stockton (Georgia), KaMario Taylor (Mississippi State), Conner Weigman (Houston), and Demond Williams (Washington).
The camp started in 1996 at Tulane University in New Orleans with 185 participants. At that time, Peyton, the 1997 NFF William V. Campbell Trophy® winner, was a junior at Tennessee. Eli, a 2003 NFF National Scholar-Athlete from Ole Miss, was a sophomore at Isidore Newman High School, and Manning’s oldest son Cooper had just graduated from Ole Miss. Buddy Teevens, the late head coach at Dartmouth and the 2024 recipient of the NFF Distinguished American Award, was head coach at Tulane, and Jeff Hawkins, the current senior associate athletics director at Oregon, was a recruiting coordinator for Teevens. Manning, his sons, and Hawkins have continued to be the driving force behind the camp’s success since its inception. The camp moved to Nicholls State in 2005, where it has been held ever since.
The Mannings are famously the first to arrive and the last to leave, underscoring their unwavering commitment to every camper. The idea for the academy grew from a concern that many young athletes were not developing the fundamental skills of throwing and catching during their formative high school years. Thirty years later, that mission remains at the heart of the camp with more than 30,000 attendees and counting.
“What keeps us going after all these years is the chance to give back to the game that’s given so much to our family,” said Archie Manning, who serves as the camp’s executive director and as chairman of the National Football Foundation. “We’re not trying to create superstars; we’re trying to help young players love the game more, lead better, and grow as teammates. That’s the heart of the Manning Passing Academy.”
Many of the top quarterbacks in the NFL today have attended either as a counselor or camper, including reigning MVP Lamar Jackson (Louisville), three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes (Texas Tech), and Heisman Trophy winners Bryce Young (USC) and Jayden Daniels (LSU).
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