It all leads up to Week 1 on Sept. 5 against Texas State.
Here are three observations from the second day of practice Thursday at Denius Fields:
QB KJ Lacey looks solid as No. 2 quarterback
Manning has shown off his arm strength over the first two days of practice with a series of downfield bullets, but backup KJ Lacey has quietly enjoyed a strong start to summer camp. Working in tandem with Manning during passing drills, Lacey didn’t misfire on a single ball during the approximately 25-minute practice window open to the media.
Lacey, a 6-foot, 188-pound sophomore from Alabama, may have the weakest arm among all four scholarship quarterbacks. But no one, including Manning, looks more accurate.
Multisport athlete Jonah Williams arrived at midterm of the 2024-25 school year out of Galveston as perhaps the most touted freshman in the 2025 class. A five-star prospect as a defensive back and a baseball player, he immediately joined the 2025 Texas baseball team and looked primed for a big freshman season in football. Injuries took their toll in both sports, however, and Williams had limited impact as a freshman.
But the safety looks fit in the first few days of football. At a listed 6 feet. 3 inches and 210 pounds, he’s the biggest player to go through the defensive back drills. He also looks like one of the most athletic; if Williams stays healthy, he could start living up to his potential this season.
Hero Kanu returns for his second season with Texas as the unquestioned leader of the defensive tackle bunch, and he looks the part. The 6-5 native of Germany put on 10-12 pounds from last season and now weighs a listed 309 pounds. With his athleticism, that extra weight makes Kanu look bigger without looking heavier, if that makes sense.