The chatter around Arch Manning is getting louder, but Texas is not making a quarterback change. Steve Sarkisian said Monday that Manning remains the starter, even as the Longhorns prepare to give redshirt freshman KJ Lacey Jr more first-team reps in practice this week.
Sarkisian didn’t dodge the conversation, either. He was blunt about what he wants to see from his quarterback.
“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 outside noise has been relentless. Former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky was among those pushing Manning to move on, writing on social media this morning, “Arch should definitely go back to school (as of right now) and definitely not at Texas.”
Sports Illustrated’s Gene Wojciechowski went a step further, floating Indiana as a possible destination after Curt Cignetti’s work 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 suggested it could be a “one year rocket ride” for Manning to the top of the draft board.
CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco also hinted Manning should move on, while former NFL general manager Ran Carthon raised Miami as another possible landing spot.
For now, though, Texas is keeping Manning in place while trying to squeeze more out of him. Through six games, he has completed 63.9% of his passes for 1,295 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. Opposing defenses have sacked him 17 times in those six games, a number that already tops the 23 times he was sacked across the entire 2025 season.
No. 19 Texas hosts No. 7 Ole Miss on Saturday night.
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Arch Manning Chatter Just Pulled Indiana Into A Bigger QB Debate
The Arch Manning conversation has already spilled well beyond Austin, and it has a way of tugging other programs into the discussion whether they asked for it or not. For Indiana fans watching the bigger quarterback carousel around college football, the latest chatter is another reminder of how quickly one high-profile situation can reshape the way people talk about depth charts, development and what young quarterbacks need to thrive.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has already made it clear Manning is still the starter, even while stressing that the performance has to improve, and the Longhorns are also giving more first-team work to redshirt freshman KJ Lacey Jr. That kind of practice wrinkle is exactly why the speculation keeps moving, and it leaves the larger question hanging in the air about where Manning fits best if the conversation keeps getting louder. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Heads To Michigan With A Bigger Problem Than Last Weeks Loss
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Michigan only adds to the uncertainty. The Wolverines have already shown they are willing to make a quarterback change on the fly, after turning from Bryce Underwood to freshman Tommy Carr during a game, and their starter for this matchup with Indiana has not been confirmed. For a Hoosiers team already searching for cleaner answers up front, the bigger issue may be whether it can reestablish its rushing identity before the pressure of the Big Ten race tightens even further. [Read more 🡒]