The noise around Arch Manning isn’t getting quieter.
As questions swirled across the college football landscape about whether Manning’s run at Texas could be nearing its end, a handful of prominent voices openly pushed the idea that he should look elsewhere. Former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky was blunt on social media, saying, “Arch should definitely go back to school (as of right now) and definitely not at Texas,”
Sports Illustrated’s Gene Wojciechowski took the conversation a step farther, floating Indiana as a possible fit after watching 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. Longtime college football writer Pat Forde quickly backed the idea, calling it a possible “one year rocket ride” for Manning toward the top of the draft board.
The speculation didn’t stop there. CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco also hinted Manning could move on from the Longhorns, while former NFL general manager Ran Carthon pointed to the Miami Hurricanes as another possible destination.
Meanwhile, Texas is trying to steady the quarterback room rather than feed the rumor mill.
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.”
Still, head coach Steve Sarkisian made clear Monday that Manning remains the starter.
“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.”
Through six games, Manning has completed 63.9% of his passes for 1,295 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also been sacked 17 times, a sharp rise from the 23 sacks he took across the entire 2025 season.
Texas, ranked No. 19, gets No. 7 Ole Miss at home Saturday night.
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