Manning Passing Academy attracts another lineup of elite college quarterbacks. See who’s attending. | Sports

The Manning Passing Academy will be bigger and better than ever this year.

The largest group of campers, counselors and staff in MPA history will descend upon Nicholls State University this week for the 26th edition of the prestigious four-day passing camp, which begins on Thursday. To accommodate the 1,350 campers, camp officials were forced to seek extra on-campus housing at the school.

The MPA 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. And the lineup of elite passers might be the best ever this year.

A record 45 quarterbacks were invited. The group represents almost every level of college football, from each of the FBS Power Five conferences to NCAA Division II Mary Hardin Baylor and Division III Wabash College.

The list includes:

• Seven projected first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft: Devin Leary (N.C. State); Will Levis (Kentucky); Tanner McKee (Stanford); Anthony Richardson (Florida); C.J. Stroud (Ohio State); Tyler Van Dyke (Miami); and Bryce Young (Alabama).

• Both quarterbacks from last year’s CFP national championship game: Young and Stetson Bennett (Georgia).

• The potential starting quarterbacks at LSU (Myles Brennan), Tulane (Michael Pratt) and Nicholls State (Kohen Granier).

• The potential starting quarterbacks at 12 of the SEC’s 14 schools: Bennett; Brennan; Levis; Richardson; Young; Luke Altmyer (Ole Miss); Hendon Hooker (Tennessee); KJ Jefferson (Arkansas); Max Johnson (Texas A&M); Spencer Rattler (South Carolina); Will Rogers (Mississippi State); and Mike Wright (Vanderbilt).

• The five top returning passers (by yardage) in FBS: Young; Rogers; Stroud; Brennan Armstrong (Virginia); and Sam Hartman (Wake Forest).

“It’s a really good group,” said Archie Manning, who, along with sons Cooper, Eli and Payton, has run the camp since its inception in 1996. “I usually cut it off at 40 counselors, but we had so many guys that wanted to come this year that I couldn’t say no. I’m getting to be a softie.”

As always, the highlight of the camp is the Friday Night Lights skills competition between 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.

“I remember when I first started this camp. Jackie Sherrill was at Mississippi State and Gerry DiNardo was at LSU and everybody said it was going to be nothing but a recruiting camp for Tennessee and Ole Miss,” said Archie Manning said. “We don’t want anything to do with recruiting at this camp. Our goal is not to develop college or pro quarterbacks. Our mission is to enhance the high school football experience.”

Three generations of Mannings will participate in the camp. In addition to Archie, Cooper, Peyton and Eli, also attending will be Cooper’s sons, Arch and Heid, and Peyton’s 11-year-old son, Marshall. Arch Manning is a senior-to-be quarterback at Newman and widely considered the top high school prospect in the nation in the Class of 2023.

“It’s always a family affair,” Archie said. “One of the things I’m most proud of is that Cooper, Peyton and Eli have not missed one minute of the camp in 25 years.”

2022 Manning Passing Academy College QBs/Camp Counselors

Holton Ahlers, East Carolina

Luke Altmyer, Ole Miss

Brennan Armstrong, Virginia

Tyson Bagent, Shepherd

Connor Bazelak, Indiana

Stetson Bennett, Georgia

Myles Brennan, LSU

Sean Clifford, Penn State

Jayden de Laura, Arizona

Jarrett Doege, Western Kentucky

Dequan Finn, Toledo

Kohen Granier, Nichols State

Sam Hartman, Wake Forest

Layne Hatcher, Texas State

Hunter Helms, Clemson

Gunnar Holmberg, Florida International

Hendon Hooker, Tennessee

Nick Howard, Dartmouth

KJ Jefferson, Arkansas

Max Johnson, Texas A&M

Phil Jurkovec, Boston College

Kyle King, Mary Hardin Baylor

Devin Leary, N.C. State

Will Levis, Kentucky

Aiden O’Connell, Purdue

Spencer Petras, Iowa

John Rhys Plumlee, Central Florida

Taylor Powell, Eastern Michigan

Michael Pratt, Tulane

Drew Pyne, Notre Dame

Spencer Rattler, South Carolina

Chris Reynolds, Charlotte

Anthony Richardson, Florida

Camron Rising, Utah

Will Rogers, Mississippi State

Tyler Shough, Texas Tech

Justin Sliwoski, St. Francis

Kedon Slovis, Pittsburgh

C.J. Stroud, Ohio State

Liam Thompson, Wabash

Ty Thompson, Oregon

Clayton Tune, Houston

Tyler Van Dyke, Miami, Fla.

Mike Wright, Vanderbilt

Bryce Young, Alabama