Marshall Manning's Baylor Debut Ends in Thrilling 2-2 Draw
The nation got to see the younger Manning earn his first varsity action in his backup role for the Red Raiders in a 38-20 win over Brentwood Academy.
Baylor head coach Erik Kimrey planned for freshman Marshall Manning to play in every game this season, even if it's just for a few snaps. Kimrey wants Manning to be ready for his starting role next year.
Manning served as the backup to senior and Ole Miss four-star commit Keegan Croucher, who is a transfer from Connecticut. With Baylor up 10-3 midway through the second quarter, Croucher started the Red Raiders' drive but stayed on the sideline after a few scrambles.
Manning entered the game and on his very first snap, rolled out to the right and found four-star 2028 athlete Anwtaun 'Cornbread' Adams for 6 yards and a Baylor first down. He would hand the ball off to Tennessee running back commit David Gabriel Georges on the next play.
Croucher returned to lead the Red Raiders on their second touchdown-scoring drive of the evening. The senior had no issues releasing the reins a bit to his freshman backup. "That was the plan and the kid is going to be a beast," Croucher said. "He's only 15 years old and he works so hard. We have a really cool relationship where we're hard on each other and we hold each other accountable in practice."
Kimrey has a history of letting backups play in non-region games, even in high-profile matchups. He let Manning play in the game against Brentwood Academy. "You guys that have covered us before know that I always let our backups play in non-region games," Kimrey said. "Usually a drive but I didn't want to do that tonight. We planned the plays he was going to run and he went in there and did a good job."
Manning's debut may have only been two snaps, but it's just the beginning for the young quarterback. Kimrey plans for him to play in every game this season, and it may pay off in a major way for the future of the Red Raiders.
Source: Yahoo Sports