Arch Manning’s season at Texas has turned into a mess fast, and the ripple effect is already obvious. The Longhorns had two losses before the end of October, Manning hasn’t looked like himself, and even Steve Sarkisian acknowledged after Texas’ loss to Florida that KJ Lacey would get an uptick in reps. A full benching still seems unlikely, but it’s not completely off the table.
That slump has also opened the door to bigger-picture chatter: Manning could skip the 2027 NFL Draft and stay in college another year. If that happens, the assumption is he’d remain at Texas. But if he ever did hit the transfer portal, a few schools would jump to the front of the line.
LSU is an easy one to circle. Manning spent four high school seasons in Louisiana at Isidore Newman in New Orleans, and the school is just 82 miles southeast of Baton Rouge.
He was born and raised in Louisiana, so the homecoming angle writes itself. On top of that, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin has a strong recent track record with 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 hasn’t played great this season, and even though Kiffin won’t say it, he was reportedly the coach’s fourth transfer choice behind Trinidad Chambliss, Brandon Sorsby and Washington’s Demond Williams. For Manning, LSU would be a chance to reset close to home under a coach known for quarterback development.
Georgia also fits, at least in a different way. Kirby Smart has generally preferred quarterbacks he recruited and developed himself in Athens, and Georgia was one of Manning’s three finalists out of high school.
But Smart has shown more willingness to use the portal lately, bringing in Oregon transfer Bryson Beaver this year and adding Jaden Rashada in 2024 as backup options behind Gunner Stockton. Stockton is a fifth-year senior, while Ryan Puglisi has only 36 completions for 413 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions over his last two seasons.
A proven quarterback with real game experience would make sense there, even if it’s not Smart’s usual lane.
Ole Miss brings a different kind of pull. Pete Golding already got the better of Kiffin once this season, with Ole Miss beating LSU 32-24, and he also kept Trinidad Chambliss from following Kiffin to Baton Rouge.
If Golding wanted to do it again, Manning would be a huge swing. Chambliss is headed to the NFL after this season, and Oxford would also offer the family connection: Manning’s grandfather Archie and uncle Eli both played there.
That’s a strong recruiting pitch on its own. Deuce Knight, who transferred in from Auburn this offseason, could stand in the way of a clean path to the job, but Manning’s experience might give him the edge.
Oregon deserves a look too, even if it’s much farther from Louisiana. Dan Lanning’s quarterback situation has gone sideways this season.
Dante Moore is expected to miss a second straight game after leaving the UCLA game on Oct. 10 with a concussion, and Lanning has bounced between Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas since then. Neither has really seized the spot, and Lanning has not named a starter for Oregon’s game against Illinois this week, though Raiola appears to have the inside track.
Moore is expected to go to the NFL in 2027, Raiola is a junior this season, and the room behind him looks open. Lanning has also handled the portal well at quarterback, with Moore coming from UCLA and Dillon Gabriel arriving from Oklahoma in 2024.
For now, Indiana and Miami look more like names on paper than real fits. Both programs have landed major transfer quarterbacks before - Cam Ward and Carson Beck at Miami, Fernando Mendoza and Josh Hoover at Indiana - but Manning would have to show a lot more to get serious traction there.
Beck and Hoover both stacked multiple 3,000-yard seasons and consistent success as starters, while Mendoza threw for 4,712 yards and 30 touchdowns over two years at Cal. Manning’s numbers are closer than they might appear, but the overall body of work still isn’t there.
He has 20 turnovers across two seasons and has struggled in five losses to Ohio State, Florida and Georgia last season, then Oklahoma and Florida so far this year. If he catches fire over the back half of the season, though, both Indiana and Miami could enter the conversation.
In Other News...
Arch Manning Added One More Twist To Ole Miss Loss
Texas win over Ole Miss came with a little postgame theater, thanks to Arch Manning and a sideline conversation that added another layer to an already notable night. The game was carried by ABCs top broadcast crew, with Holly Rowe on the sideline, and Manning used the moment after the final whistle to make a lighthearted pitch that she ought to be around more often when Texas takes the field.
It was a playful line, but it also carried a bit of history behind it, since Rowe, Manning and coach Steve Sarkisian were all part of a previous dustup that had already been smoothed over. Against Ole Miss, the whole exchange served as a reminder that even after the game ends, there can still be a little extra edge and a little extra entertainment attached to Texas football. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Showed Fight At Texas But One Problem Just Got Bigger
Ole Miss left Austin with a loss, but not without evidence that the seasons bigger questions are still alive. After trailing 24-3 at halftime, the Rebels regrouped and turned a rough afternoon into a game that mattered deep into the second half, even if Texas eventually escaped with a 34-27 win. The first half was the problem area, with the offense stuck in neutral and quarterback Chambliss throwing an interception as the Rebels struggled to get anything going.
The second-half response was the encouraging part, because Ole Miss showed the kind of fight that can keep a season from slipping away after an early deficit. Still, the loss comes with real weight, especially with important games ahead that could shape the Rebels playoff position. The comeback effort bought some credibility, but it also left one lingering concern: the margin for error is getting smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Kirk Herbstreit Had The Perfect Reaction To Ole Miss Wild Finish
Ole Miss made one of the most dramatic pushes of Week 8 against Texas, storming back to tie the game before the Longhorns answered with a late touchdown to finish it off. The Rebels rally included a recovered onside kick that instantly became one of the nights biggest moments, and Kirk Herbstreit was right there to capture the chaos from his seat.
Herbstreit later shared a video of his reaction, making clear he was rooting for the spectacle more than for either sideline. It was the kind of candid, live-on-the-spot moment that college football fans love from him, and it came with Herbstreit set to be back on College GameDay in Bloomington for Minnesota-Indiana in Week 9. [Read more 🡒]