This is a big year for New York Giants legend Eli Manning. This is the 30th year of his family’s annual quarterback clinic, the Manning Passing Academy. To celebrate the milestone, the clinic has been made much more of an event this year than in previous years, complete with an NFL Films crew to document the weekend.
For those not familiar, the Manning Passing Academy is a weekend clinic put on by the Manning family — Archie, Peyton, Cooper, and Eli — for high school quarterbacks, wide receivers,
tight ends, and running backs from around the country. It’s a first-come, first-served affair that doesn’t select based on pedigree, region, or school, and is open to 1,400 high school students.
The Manning Passing Academy also attracts some of the top college quarterbacks from around the country to serve as counselors.
As a part of the weekend, Eli spoke to the NFL Network about the Passing Academy, it’s evolution, as well as former counselor (and Giants quarterback) Jaxson Dart.
You can watch the full video here.
Jaxson Dart Second year leap
The Giants are clearly hoping that Eli’s fellow Ole Miss alum, Jaxson Dart, will make a similar developmental leap as he develops. The Giants were confident that Eli was “The Guy” when they made the blockbuster trade for him in 2004. However, things got off to a rocky start after Eli took over for Kurt Warner.
Two decades later, a different Giants regime had similar convictions about Jaxson Dart when they traded back into the first round to select him at 25th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Dart had a promising first year and while he only won four games, and missed two due to a concussion, he still played well for a rookie. He up numbers that put his rookie season in the same conversation as the likes of Dan Marino, Cam Newton, and Justin Herbert.
Eli spoke about the transition from rookie to veteran starting quarterback, and what goes into making that second year leap.
“When you’re coming into the NFL, you’re not the starter, you’re a rookie,” Eli said. “It’s kinda hard to know what your role is. How do you lead guys? Do you know your offense completely?
“I think now, going into his second year, he’s going to have a greater command of the offense, a greater command of what he needs to do,” he added. “How does he need to prepare, how does he watch film, how does he watch the blitz pick up and he’s going to change protections. So kinda knowing how teams played him, so he can prepare for that and have answers next year. I think it just helps you from the leadership side, and the preparation side of knowing what to expect.
There are a few unlocks that Dart can work on as he develops as an NFL quarterback. He has some mechanical issues he can refine to help make his mechanics more repeatable and get in better sync with his receivers. More experience will also help him better react to what defenses throw at him. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the “Fangio-Adjacent” defenses in the NFL (which are most of them, at this point) go to school on the second Eagles game last year. Studying that game and realizing how the Eagles attacked him and planning for that will be a big growth point for Dart.
The college quarterbacks
While the Manning Passing Academy is really about giving back to the football community and helping high school passers refine their games,
“Yesterday we were on the field with the college guys,” Eli said. “We did an hour session; going through drills, throwing routes versus air, they’ll do that again today. Peyton and I will meet with them tomorrow for an hour, kind of closed room, closed door, let them ask questions about anything. The best way to prepare, get ready for a week, if it’s about the Combine, if it’s about the draft, if it’s about the NFL. Whatever it might be, how to be a great leader, how to help a receiver out if he’s not playing well.
“All these things that they’re going through, Eli added, “to have Peyton and I, two guys that have been through it at every level, that have been in their shoes. I think it’s helpful for them. It’s on the field stuff, it’s off the field, it’s sitting and having dinner with them and just talking. Peyton and I say ‘hey, any time you see us, if you have any questions, just ask us, take our number down, we want to be a resource and help you out on your path.”
As we’ve mentioned before, the 2027 NFL Draft features a potentially historic quarterback class, and the NFL is already incredibly excited for it. And the presence of many of the nation’s top college quarterbacks is also turning this weekend into an unofficial draft event. This isn’t exactly a venue for the college QBs to show off for NFL teams, but evaluators take every chance to get a look at their most important investments. And getting to see potential top quarterbacks and how they carry themselves, as well as interact with and coach the high school kids is a rare opportunity.
Todd McShay of The Ringer reported in his podcast that there were (at least) five NFL general managers in attendance. The headliner was obviously Texas QB Arch Manning, but there were also other high profile quarterbacks in attendance. CJ Carr (Notre Dame), John Mateer (Oklahoma), Julian Sayin (Ohio State), Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss), and Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State) were all down in Thibodeaux serving as counselors for the high school quarterbacks.
Draft implications aside, it’s also just heartwarming to see two of the best to ever play the position give back to the next generation of NFL quarterbacks. Eli Manning is still embodying the best of Giants Football.
