The noise around Arch Manning is getting louder, but Texas is making one thing plain: he’s still the starter.
That hasn’t stopped the speculation from piling up. Former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky went straight to the point on social media Monday morning, saying, “Arch should definitely go back to school (as of right now) and definitely not at Texas,” Orlovsky said on social media this morning.
He’s not alone in wondering whether a change of scenery might be best. Sports Illustrated’s Gene Wojciechowski floated Indiana as a possible destination, pointing to what head coach Curt Cignetti did with No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza in 2025.
“I’m not saying it hasn’t worked out, but could it work out better someplace else, given what Curt Cignetti has shown, is it Indiana?” he questioned. Pat Forde then backed that line of thinking, calling it a possible “one year rocket ride” for Manning to the top of the draft board.
CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco also suggested Manning should move on from Texas, while former NFL general manager Ran Carthon raised Miami as another possible landing spot.
But inside the Texas program, the message from Steve Sarkisian hasn’t changed. While ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported the Longhorns are “expected to give an up-tick in first-team quarterback reps to redshirt freshman KJ Lacey Jr this week in practice,” Sarkisian made it clear Manning remains QB1.
“Arch can play better for us; he’s our starter, but I need to see a better version of Arch Manning,” Sarkisian said Monday. “Like I need to see a better version of a lot of guys on our offensive football team right now. We need to see a better version of him this week.”
The numbers back up the pressure. Manning is completing 63.9% of his passes for 1,295 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also been under heavy heat, getting sacked 17 times through six games, compared with 23 times across the entire 2025 season.
Texas now turns to a tough matchup Saturday night, when No. 19 Texas hosts No. 7 Ole Miss.
In Other News...
Tigers Fans Have One Big Reason To Watch Cleveland This Winter
With Clevelands season ending in the ALCS, one name immediately surfaced as a possible winter domino: Steven Kwan. MLB insider Robert Murray floated the idea that the Guardians could explore moving the left fielder, a development that would naturally catch the Tigers attention after seeing how much Kwan helped tilt the postseason picture in Clevelands favor against them.
For Detroit, the intrigue is obvious. Kwan has been a problem in October and a steady presence for the Guardians, even if his career numbers against the Tigers are lower than his overall track record suggests. Nothing has been confirmed, and Kwan recently sounded upbeat about Clevelands direction, but his name alone gives Tigers fans a reason to keep one eye on the Guardians offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Tigers Fans May Need To Start Watching A Different Prospect Tier
If the Tigers are going to keep building toward the next wave of help, the attention may need to drift beyond the headliners and toward a younger layer of the system that is starting to look more intriguing by the month. Brett Callahan, Andrew Sears, Max Anderson, Thayron Liranzo and Izaac Pacheco all fit that under-the-radar tier, the kind of prospects who can slip past the louder buzz but still matter when a club starts mapping out its future.
The common thread is less about immediate pressure and more about possibility, with each player carrying a different path and a different reason to keep watching. Detroit has plenty of established names drawing the bulk of the conversation, but clubs often find real value when a lesser-known group starts pushing its way into the picture, and this one could be worth tracking closely as the 2027 horizon gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Former Tigers Catching Prospect Is Fueling A Painful Rays Debate
The Tigers have already watched one former prospect swing a big bat for Tampa Bay in October, and another has quietly become part of the Rays postseason mix. Ryan Vilade supplied a go-ahead home run in the ALDS, while Liam Hicks has chipped in on both sides of the ball as Tampa Bay keeps moving through the bracket. For Detroit, it is the sort of familiar reminder that player development does not always end with the organization that first identified the talent.
Hicks path has been especially notable for Tigers fans to revisit. Detroit acquired him in a trade, then lost him in the Rule 5 draft before he eventually landed with the Rays and worked his way into a meaningful role in their playoff run. Even without a headline-grabbing bat every night, his steady presence has made him one of the more interesting ex-Tigers in this October story, and it leaves a little more room for debate over what might have been. [Read more 🡒]