Stoops breaks down Arch Manning and his own young QB before the Texas game

After a much-needed bye week, Kentucky returns to Kroger Field on Saturday to face No. 21 Texas. The Wildcats are still searching for their first conference win, and they’ll have to get it against one of college football’s most recognizable names: Arch Manning.

On Monday, Mark Stoops was asked about Manning during his weekly press conference previewing the Longhorns game. He called the third-year Texas QB a player who can make WOW plays and is becoming more comfortable as a starter with each game.

“You watch this last game, and I want to say it was a four-point game, and they were backed up. Oklahoma got great pressure on him. Evades the pressure and throws the strike. He did that time and time again. Then on the first touchdown pass in the pocket, didn’t move, had a good, clean pocket, delivers a touchdown pass. 

“He’s one of those guys that can make all the throws, in rhythm and on time, or buying time because he’s a good athlete. He throws very good on the run.”

When asked to comment on the preseason expectations around Manning, Stoops further complimented Manning’s development.

“He didn’t ask for any of that,” Stoops said of the outside noise. “Everything that I could see, and hearing from him, he’s just a young man putting his head down, trying to get better. And I think a lot of that is unfair, and it is what it is. He understands that, I don’t need to tell him anything that he hasn’t heard from his famous uncles and father and all that, but, you know, he’s just a young man getting better with every rep, and you can see the confidence in him, and why wouldn’t he be confident, he’s a very good football player.”

Across the field, Kentucky’s own young quarterback is also trying to grow into the role with each passing week.

Stoops sees growth and confidence in Cutter Boley

On his own sideline, Stoops said Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley continues to grow into his new QB1 role as the season progresses. The redshirt-freshman, who’s faced two straight SEC defenses in two road starts, took a step forward in Kentucky’s loss between the hedges two Saturdays ago.

“I think he has much more confidence,” Stoops said of Boley’s improvement. “He’s a very confident young man. He’s a young player and he’s going to get better with every rep and every game. Again, that’s not lip service, he knows that and he feels that. He feels the confidence with each practice, there’s no question.”

Stoops added that Boley knows he played better against Georgia than against South Carolina and has to carry that progress forward into the Texas game.

“We’re playing a very talented, a very good team, and very good defensive team, but we have to control the things we can control. He has a very good presence about him.  He has a lot of confidence. He knows with hard work, he’ll see results.”

Stoops credited Boley’s demeanor and leadership but said Kentucky must do its part to help him.

“We have to have a good plan for him and make sure he’s comfortable and can execute the things we are asking him to do.”

Boley will make his first start at home since the 2024 finale against Louisville, in which he was benched in the second half of a blowout loss. This season, Boley has thrown for 349 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in his two starts, taking over for Zach Calzada in the unfriendly confines of Williams-Brice Stadium and Sanford Stadium.

With Boley growing more confident each week, Kentucky hopes the bye helped its offense find rhythm as the Wildcats prepare for a primetime challenge against Texas and its stifling defense.

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Watch Mark Stoops’ Monday Press Conference