Arch Manning’s season at Texas has gone sideways, and that has kicked off a new round of speculation about where he could land if he leaves in 2027. The Longhorns have already taken two losses before the end of October, Manning has not played well, and even Steve Sarkisian acknowledged after Texas’ loss to Florida that KJ Lacey could see an uptick.
A benching still does not look likely, but it is not completely off the table either. And with Manning’s year going so poorly, the conversation has shifted to whether he might skip the 2027 NFL Draft and stick around in college for another season.
If that happens, the assumption is he would stay at Texas. But if he does enter the transfer portal, a handful of schools stand out.
LSU is an obvious name to circle. Manning played four years of high school football in Louisiana at Isidore Newman in New Orleans, and that school is just 82 miles southeast of Baton Rouge.
He was born and grew up in Louisiana, too. On the football side, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin has already shown he can develop quarterbacks, turning Jaxson Dart into a first-round NFL Draft pick and helping uncover Trinidad Chambliss from DII Ferris State, who is expected to be a top signal-caller picked for 2027.
Sam Leavitt has not played great this season, and though Kiffin won’t say it, he was the coach’s fourth transfer choice behind Trinidad Chambliss, Brandon Sorsby and Washington’s Demond Williams. For Manning, a return to his roots under an offensive coach like Kiffin would be a clean reset.
Georgia also belongs in the mix. Kirby Smart has usually preferred quarterbacks he recruited out of high school and developed in Athens, and Georgia was one of three finalists for Manning back then.
Still, Smart has also dipped into the portal for depth, bringing in Oregon transfer Bryson Beaver this year and adding Jaden Rashada in 2024 as backups to Gunner Stockton. Stockton is a fifth-year senior, while backup Ryan Puglisi has completed 36 passes for 413 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions over his last two seasons.
Manning’s actual game experience could make him a real fit there, even if it would not be the traditional path for Smart.
Ole Miss makes for one of the more interesting possibilities, especially because Pete Golding has already beaten Kiffin once this season. Ole Miss knocked off LSU 32-24 earlier this year, and Golding also kept Trinidad Chambliss from leaving Oxford for Baton Rouge.
If he wanted to do it again, Manning would be a huge prize. Chambliss is headed to the NFL after this season, and Manning would also be following a family route if he landed in Oxford, where his grandfather Archie and uncle Eli played.
Deuce Knight, who transferred in from Auburn this offseason, is currently the backup, so Manning would not walk into a guaranteed starting job, but his experience could give him an edge.
Oregon is another school with a quarterback picture that could change quickly. Dan Lanning has had a rough year at the position, with Dante Moore expected to miss a second straight game after leaving the UCLA game on Oct. 10 with a concussion.
Oregon has turned to Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas in his absence, and neither has played especially well. Lanning has not named a starter for this week’s game against Illinois, though Raiola appears to have the edge.
Moore is expected to go to the NFL in 2027, Raiola is a junior this season, and the room behind him looks open. Oregon would be far from home for Manning, but Lanning has already shown he can work the portal, with Moore arriving from UCLA and Dillon Gabriel transferring in from Oklahoma in 2024.
Indiana and Miami only look like possibilities if Manning’s play improves. Both programs have been successful with transfer quarterbacks, including Cam Ward and Carson Beck at Miami and Fernando Mendoza and Josh Hoover at Indiana.
But for either school to seriously line up for Manning, he would need a much stronger body of work than he has right now. Beck and Hoover both had multiple seasons over 3,000 passing yards and steady success as starters, while Mendoza threw for 4,712 yards and 30 touchdowns over two seasons at Cal.
Manning’s numbers are somewhat in the same range, but the tape has not been good enough yet. He has 20 turnovers across his two seasons, and his five losses to Ohio State, Florida and Georgia last season and to Oklahoma and Florida this year have not helped his case.
Indiana and Miami are more likely to chase a quarterback with more consistent production. Still, if Manning finishes the season strong, both could absolutely enter the picture.
In Other News...
Mississippi State Gets A Big Home Test The Numbers Don't Like
Mississippi States next home game comes with the kind of caution flags the numbers tend to notice quickly. Advanced metrics give Oklahoma a slight edge, and betting markets have followed suit, setting up a matchup where the Bulldogs are being asked to prove they can steady themselves against a team that grades out a touch better overall.
The challenge gets a little tougher when you factor in Mississippi States recent skid and the hit its offense has taken from injuries to key playmakers. Both teams bring clear strengths on opposite sides of the ball, which is part of why this one is expected to stay tight, but the projection models still lean toward a narrow Oklahoma finish. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Still Has A Bowl Chance Despite Growing Concerns
Mississippi State reaches the midpoint of the season with a 4-2 record and a chance to keep its bowl path on track when Oklahoma comes to Starkville. Jeff Lebbys third season has already featured some encouraging moments, including wins over Minnesota, South Carolina and Missouri, but the Bulldogs have also had to absorb a loss to LSU and deal with injuries to key players as the schedule has tightened.
The bigger concern now is whether the early momentum can survive the grind of the second half. Mississippi State still has the kind of record that keeps postseason goals realistic, but the margin for error is shrinking, and the Sooners offer another test of how much the Bulldogs have grown since the early struggles. [Read more 🡒]
Jeff Lebbys Coaching Roots Make Mississippi States Early Progress Feel Real
Jeff Lebbys path to the Mississippi State sideline started with a detour most coaches never get the chance to take. After a back injury ended his playing career at Oklahoma, he stayed around as a student assistant and began learning the job from the ground up. What looked like the end of one track became the start of another, and that early transition still shapes the way he is viewed now that he is running the Bulldogs.
The significance for Mississippi State is obvious in the way the programs early SEC progress has felt more substantial than a quick hot stretch. Lebby has worked through a variety of coaching roles since those days in Norman, and the steady climb has given him the kind of credibility that comes from doing the work at multiple levels. For a fan base looking for signs the rebuild is real, his rsum offers a reminder that the foundation did not appear overnight. [Read more 🡒]