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 Is Showing Texas Something Different At A Crucial Time
Arch Manning has been drawing a different kind of attention around Texas this week, and Steve Sarkisian noticed it during practice. After a rough stretch and a two-game losing streak, the Longhorns are looking for a spark from their quarterback, and Sarkisian said Manning has looked edgy in practice as the team tries to steady itself before Ole Miss.
Sarkisian sounded optimistic that Manning can turn that edge into production when it matters most. He also pointed to backup KJ Lacey as a steady presence behind the scenes, praising the freshman's solid play and coachability this season, a small but meaningful reminder that Texas is still trying to sort out its quarterback room while the pressure keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Legend Sparks SEC QB Debate With Arch Manning Shot
David Pollacks latest SEC quarterback rundown landed with some weight, especially in Texas circles, because it came with a clear endorsement of Georgias Gunner Stockton and a sharp critique of Arch Manning. Pollack, who has long had a strong feel for the leagues biggest quarterbacks, stuck with Stockton even after a rough outing, framing the Georgia signal-caller as someone he still trusts as the games get bigger and the pressure rises.
For Texas, the more pointed part of the discussion was the Manning evaluation. Pollack pointed to an underwhelming performance and issues in key games during Mannings second full season as a starter, a reminder that the scrutiny around the Longhorns quarterback is only growing. With Texas always measured against the SECs best, comments like that add another layer to the conversation about how Manning stacks up when the spotlight is brightest. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Must Face A Recruiting Miss At The Worst Time
Kewan Lacys path to this point carries a little extra sting for Texas. The Dallas native and Ole Miss running back was a three-star prospect who had long wanted to play for the Longhorns, but Steve Sarkisian and his staff never extended a scholarship offer. Now Lacy has turned into a productive piece for the Rebels, and Texas is set to see him up close in a matchup that arrives with plenty on the line for both sides.
The Longhorns meet Ole Miss on Oct. 24 in a game scheduled for ABC, and the timing could hardly be worse for Texas. Its defense is already dealing with injuries to key players, which puts even more pressure on a unit trying to hold up against an offense featuring a runner it once passed on. For Texas, it is the kind of recruiting miss that can feel much bigger when the calendar finally circles back. [Read more 🡒]