Texas’s latest collapse has put Arch Manning’s grip on the starting job under a bright, unforgiving spotlight.
After Saturday’s 27-24 loss to Florida, the Longhorns have now dropped two straight games by the same score and fallen to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in Southeastern Conference play. Texas led 17-3 before the Gators stormed back, and Manning’s late fumble on the final possession effectively closed the door.
The numbers tell part of the story. Manning finished 14 of 20 for 173 yards and a touchdown, and he did flash the kind of arm talent Texas expected, including a 62-yard completion to Emmett Mosley V.
But the mistakes were too costly, and the offense never did enough to steady itself when the game tilted away. Texas managed only 272 total yards, went 2 for 10 on third down and was sacked five times.
The Longhorns also went more than 52 minutes between offensive touchdowns.
That kind of stretch is hard to survive, especially for a team carrying championship expectations.
Manning isn’t the only issue, of course. The offensive line struggled badly against Florida, and Steve Sarkisian’s offense had trouble sustaining drives from start to finish. Still, quarterback play is part of the problem, and Texas has options if it decides the position needs a reset.
The cleanest switch would be KJ Lacey. The sophomore from Saraland, Alabama, came into the season as the primary backup and has completed seven of eight passes for 63 yards in two appearances.
At 6-0 and 188 pounds, Lacey offers a quick release, short-area accuracy and a style that can keep the ball moving without demanding highlight-reel throws. The downside is obvious: he has very little meaningful experience, and most of his snaps have come against overmatched opponents.
Another possibility is Dia Bell, the freshman who arrived with major hype after earning five-star recognition and MVP honors at the 2025 Elite 11 competition. The 6-3, 206-pound Bell threw for 2,560 yards and 29 touchdowns as a junior in high school, while also running for 556 yards and six scores.
He brings arm strength, mobility and accuracy. But throwing a true freshman into the middle of an SEC schedule would be a serious gamble.
Then there’s MJ Morris, the veteran transfer with the most experience of the group. The fifth-year quarterback has been at NC State, Maryland and Coastal Carolina, and he has six starts at NC State plus another at Maryland.
Last season at Coastal Carolina, he threw for 304 yards and a touchdown in four appearances. Morris has seen different systems, different defenses and real game pressure.
His résumé also comes with baggage: uneven production and a career path marked by moves without a long-term hold on a starting job.
Texas also has sophomore walk-on Luke Dunham, the former Austin McCallum standout who threw for 2,635 yards and 28 touchdowns in his senior high school season. But there’s no indication he’s ready for major SEC snaps.
Sarkisian knows the offense needs a full review. After the Florida loss, he said, "Everything means everything," while talking through what comes next.
That evaluation has to include the quarterback spot.
Manning is still a gifted player, and Texas saw that on the 62-yard strike to Mosley V. But splash plays can’t erase fumbles, stalled drives and blown leads.
The name on the jersey doesn’t decide the job. The player who gives Texas the best chance to win does.
And right now, after two straight losses, that question is very much open.
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Texas May Have A Colin Simmons Problem They Can't Afford
Colin Simmons left Texas with an apparent leg injury in the fourth quarter against Florida, and the scene was enough to quiet a sideline that has come to lean heavily on its best pass rusher. He had to be helped off the field before being taken for further evaluation, a troubling development for a defense that has built so much of its edge around his ability to get after the quarterback.
Simmons has been the centerpiece of Texas pass rush and leads the nation in sacks, which is exactly why any concern around his health carries so much weight for the Longhorns. If the injury lingers, Texas may have to confront a depth issue in a hurry, because replacing a player who changes protection plans and wrecks drives is easier said than done. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Just Got A Colin Simmons Problem It Couldnt Afford
Texas had already been leaning on Colin Simmons as one of the most disruptive defenders in the country, and now it may have to find out what life looks like without him, at least for a while. The sophomore edge rusher was helped off the field after an apparent lower-body injury against Florida and later carted to the locker room, a troubling sight for a defense that has counted on his burst off the edge all season.
What happens next is the real concern for Texas, because Simmons has been one of the few players capable of changing a game by himself. He entered the matchup with 10.5 sacks and a rising profile that extends well beyond Austin, so any missed time would affect both the Longhorns push this season and a draft stock that was only getting stronger. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Has A Colin Simmons Problem Fans Will Fear
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Simmons absence was felt right away, with Florida taking the lead on a field goal while he was off the field for further examination. For a Texas defense built around his disruption off the edge, the concern is obvious: even a brief loss of Simmons changes how opponents can attack, and the Longhorns now have to hope the issue is not something that lingers beyond one tense night. [Read more 🡒]