Arch Manning’s name is suddenly everywhere, and not in the way Texas fans wanted. The speculation has taken off fast, with multiple voices around college football floating the idea that Manning should leave Austin and start over somewhere else.
Dan Orlovsky was among the first to push the conversation forward. The former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst posted this morning that, “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. Sports Illustrated’s Gene Wojciechowski pointed to Indiana as a possible landing spot, citing what Curt Cignetti did with No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza in 2025.
Wojciechowski framed it as a question of whether Manning might be better off elsewhere, saying, “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?” Pat Forde quickly added to that line of thinking, calling it a potential “one year rocket ride” to the top of the draft board.
CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco also suggested Manning could move on, while former NFL general manager Ran Carthon brought up Miami as another possible destination.
Still, Texas is not acting like it’s time to turn the page. 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.”
Even with that report circulating, Steve Sarkisian made his position clear Monday: Manning is still the guy.
“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.”
Manning’s numbers help explain why the noise has grown. He’s completed 63.9% of his passes for 1,295 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions, while opposing defenses have sacked him 17 times through six games. That already tops the 23 sacks Texas allowed in the entire 2025 season.
Texas, ranked No. 19, gets a major test Saturday night when No. 7 Ole Miss comes to town.
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