Texas is heading into Oxford with all the attention fixed on one spot: quarterback. The Longhorns sit at 4-2, but the conversation in Austin keeps circling back to Arch Manning, whose play has not matched the Heisman Trophy buzz that followed him into the season.
There was already fresh noise this week after reports on Monday said Texas was giving freshman KJ Lacey Jr. an “uptick” in reps at practice. Manning, for his part, acknowledged the obvious and said he needs to play better moving forward.
For now, though, Manning still appears set to start against Ole Miss, and that makes sense given the circumstances. Texas insider Anwar Richardson of Orangebloods laid out just how far things would have to go before Steve Sarkisian would make a change.
"I was told that it would take a “s- performance” against Ole Miss for Sarkisian to bench Manning," Richardson wrote.
The Longhorns are already coming off a rough stretch, dropping consecutive 27-24 games, first to Oklahoma in Norman and then to Florida at home in Austin.
Manning’s numbers in those games have been uneven. Against Florida, he completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown. In the Red River Rivalry loss to Oklahoma, he went 19 of 31 for 260 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Calls for a switch have already started to build, with analyst Paul Finebaum among those urging Texas to consider benching Manning. But putting a freshman in against a top-10 Ole Miss team on the road is a major gamble. Still, if Manning has another rough outing, the possibility of a move is clearly on the table.
In Other News...
Arch Manning Suddenly Puts Texas' Quarterback Plan Under Pressure
Arch Mannings future at Texas has become one of the sports more closely watched storylines, and it is starting to spill beyond simple projection. The highly rated quarterback prospect arrived in Austin with enormous expectations, but after a stretch of poor performances and visible regression under Steve Sarkisian, the conversation around him has shifted from hype to uncertainty.
Even so, some analysts still view Manning as a possible first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, which only adds to the pressure around what comes next. He could stay in Austin and try to rebuild momentum, whether the staff around him changes or not, but the possibility of a transfer is also part of the discussion now, since another program might offer a cleaner path to development and a better chance to restore his draft stock. [Read more 🡒]
Cals Quarterback Situation Suddenly Carries A Much Bigger Risk
Quarterback uncertainty has become one of the more uncomfortable themes of the early 2026 college football season, and Texas has not been able to escape it completely. Arch Manning arrived with enormous expectations, but his uneven play has kept the spotlight trained on him, and the Longhorns have already started giving backup KJ Lacey more first-team reps as a sign that the competition behind center is more than routine depth-chart maintenance.
Around the sport, the ripple effects have been obvious, from Michigan making a midgame switch from Bryce Underwood to freshman Tommy Carr to California cycling between Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and Jackson Brousseau because of injuries and performance concerns. For Texas, the lesson is straightforward: even the most celebrated quarterback room can become fragile fast, and once a staff begins preparing a backup more seriously, the margin for error around the starter shrinks even further. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Showed One Surprising Strength In A Frustrating Florida Loss
For all the frustration that came with Texas loss to Florida, one part of the performance stood out in a way Steve Sarkisians teams usually have not: discipline. The Longhorns were flagged just once for 15 yards, their fewest penalties in a game across Sarkisians 74 games as Texas coach, a sharp contrast to the kind of self-inflicted mistakes that have occasionally derailed drives and games in the past.
Texas has also moved into a much better place overall, ranking tied for 38th in penalties per game and 59th in penalty yards per game in the FBS. The lone infraction was an illegal block below the waist, and it proved costly by helping set up a Florida field goal, a reminder that even one mistake can still matter in a tight game. [Read more 🡒]