A chaotic Week 7 left a handful of quarterback situations looking even shakier than they did a month ago, and the pressure is now turning into action in a few spots.
The biggest spotlight still sits on Texas and Arch Manning. The Longhorns spent big around him in the offseason, trimming what they viewed as dead weight through the transfer portal and adding more pieces to support him, while Steve Sarkisian also made a defensive coordinator change to help the other side of the ball. But six games into the 2026 season, Texas has only one elite fourth quarter to point to - the one against Ohio State.
Everything else has fueled concern. In Texas’ two losses, Manning threw an interception that helped set up a game-winning field goal drive for Oklahoma, and he lost a fumble on a possible game-winning drive at home against Florida.
Pete Thamel of ESPN reported that second-string quarterback KJ Lacey is getting more first-team reps with Manning ahead of Texas’ matchup with Ole Miss. If the Rebels build a multi-score lead and Manning keeps struggling to get the ball out, Sarkisian could turn to Lacey.
Michigan has already made one switch, and another could be coming. Bryce Underwood’s rough start against Western Michigan in Week 1 set the tone, and the Wolverines fell into an 0-2 hole in Big Ten play. In the latter loss, Underwood completed 10 of 21 passes for 101 yards and threw two interceptions.
That led to a change at Penn State, where Michigan moved to freshman Tommy Carr after Underwood’s second interception of the first half. Carr then used his legs to help finish the job, sealing the win with a 12-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Kyle Whittingham has not officially named a starter for Michigan’s game against No. 6 Indiana, and after those Big Ten struggles, a permanent shift to Carr looks possible.
California’s quarterback setup is the messiest of the bunch. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele spent much of September playing through injury, and a concussion against UNLV forced the Golden Bears to turn to Jackson Brousseau.
Sagapolutele came back last week, but Tosh Lupoi still gave Brousseau the start. Brousseau averaged under five yards per completion as California fell behind Wake Forest by 41 points, and the Golden Bears went back to Sagapolutele after the Demon Deacons scored their final touchdown.
Sagapolutele’s return was supposed to be one of the more anticipated comeback stories in the sport, but 2026 has not brought the step forward many expected. If California keeps giving Brousseau snaps over Sagapolutele, the quarterback could be headed for the NCAA transfer portal.
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 🡒]
Arch Manning Heads To Oxford With Pressure Suddenly Building
Arch Manning heads into Oxford with the spotlight getting brighter by the day, and not for the reasons Texas envisioned when he took over as the starter. The Longhorns are still riding with Manning for the Ole Miss game, even after a stretch of uneven play that has left questions lingering around the position and around what Steve Sarkisian may be willing to tolerate if the offense keeps sputtering.
Anwar Richardson reported that Sarkisian would need to see a very poor outing from Manning against Ole Miss before even thinking about a change, which at least gives Texas a clear short-term answer at quarterback. Still, there are signs of the conversation building behind the scenes, including reports that freshman KJ Lacey Jr. has been getting more practice reps, a detail that keeps the pressure on Manning without any official switch having been made. [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 🡒]