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...
Illinois Big Win Comes With One Debate Fans Wont Drop
The Ducks left Champaign with plenty to sort through after a 21-10 loss to Illinois, a game that turned on an offense that could not finish drives. Oregon kept coming away with field goals instead of touchdowns and never found enough answers to keep pace, while Illinois made the most of its chances and controlled the closing stages. For a team that expected to leave with a statement win, the frustration was as much about missed opportunities as the final score.
The debate that will linger comes from the late fourth quarter, when Illinois receiver Collin Dixons game-sealing touchdown was reviewed and upheld despite contact from Oregon defensive back Brandon Finney Jr. Oregon will point to that sequence, but the broader issue was its own inability to cash in when the game was there to be taken. The Ducks had chances to change the shape of the afternoon and instead watched Illinois turn a tight finish into a result they could not undo. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Just Took A Painful QB Recruiting Hit
Oregon took a significant recruiting swing to the jaw when Josiah Boyd, one of the top quarterbacks in the 2028 class, chose UCLA over the Ducks and Kentucky. Boyd, ranked 31st nationally and second at his position, had long looked like a major target for Oregon, which was seen as a frontrunner for much of the process before the Bruins surged late.
The miss stings because quarterback recruiting is always about more than one player, and Oregon had clearly invested time and momentum in Boyds chase. The Ducks are still active with other 2028 quarterback options, and they already have a highly regarded quarterback committed in the 2027 class, but landing a player of Boyds caliber would have been a meaningful early win in the next cycle. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Just Lost A Key QB Battle With Bigger Recruiting Questions Ahead
Oregons quarterback board took a hit this week when four-star Josiah Boyd, the No. 2 quarterback in the 2028 class, announced for UCLA over the Ducks and Kentucky. Boyd had visited all three programs, and Oregon had long been viewed as a strong contender, but his choice swung late after recent trips, including a stop to see a Bruins game.
The loss leaves Oregon still working through the 2028 quarterback market while also trying to hold onto its current commitments. It is another reminder that UCLAs recruiting profile has picked up steam, and for the Ducks, the bigger concern now is whether this one decision is a one-off or the start of a tougher stretch on the trail. [Read more 🡒]