Steve Sarkisian didn’t sound like a coach backing into a quarterback decision on Monday. He sounded like a coach who had just watched Arch Manning reset the conversation.
Two weeks after saying Manning’s job as Texas’ starting quarterback was being evaluated, Sarkisian delivered a full-throated defense of his signal-caller as the Longhorns head to No. 19 Missouri on Saturday at 11 am CT on ESPN, with their College Football Playoff hopes hanging in the balance.
“Honestly, I've never felt better about Arch Manning than I do this week,” Sarkisian said.
He didn’t stop there.
“Like, this guy's ready, and he's a warrior. He's tough.
His competitive spirit is extremely high. I thought he willed us to play football on the offensive side last week [in a 31-3 win over Mississippi State ], and that's what a quarterback does.
And, so, what a difference a few weeks make, you know? We can improve on the offensive line - just like he was able to improve at the quarterback position, and that's our job as coaches to make all of that come to life.”
That’s a sharp turn from where Texas stood not long ago. After spending a month at No. 1, the Longhorns dropped back-to-back games to unranked Oklahoma on Oct. 10 and unranked Florida on Oct. 17, despite holding double-digit leads in both.
Manning’s fourth-quarter turnovers were central to both losses, including his first career pick-six against Oklahoma. Then came the 27-24 loss to Florida, sealed by a strip-sack of Manning with 1:58 left.
After that defeat, Sarkisian said every starter’s job would be evaluated, Manning included.
Kirk Herbstreit said on ESPN that Sarkisian revealed in a pre-production meeting for the Ole Miss game that it was the first time he had really challenged Manning with the possibility of replacing him with backup KJ Lacey. Herbstreit added that Sarkisian said he probably should’ve challenged Manning earlier.
The response, according to Sarkisian, was a quarterback who showed up with an edge.
Manning was “edgy” and had “a chip on his shoulder” the week Texas played Ole Miss, Sarkisian said. In that game, Manning accounted for three turnovers - two interceptions and a strip-sack Ole Miss recovered for a touchdown - while also scoring three touchdowns, one passing and two rushing, while “competing his butt off,” Sarkisian said.
Asked Monday about Sarkisian saying he’d never felt better about him, Manning kept the focus on the work ahead.
“Just trying to keep that edge moving forward and put our best foot forward each day and continue to grow.”
The discussion around Manning also touched on the physical toll of Texas’ offense. His average time to throw is 2.98 seconds, up from 2.88 in 2025 and 2.74 in 2024, and Texas has already allowed more sacks in 2026 (24) than it did in 13 games in 2025 (23).
Manning didn’t flinch at the idea of standing in the pocket and taking hits to make a play.
“That's football. That's what you signed up for at the quarterback position. We talk about it during the week: Whatever it takes, and I'm going to do whatever it takes.
“A lot of those sacks, those are on me,” Manning added. “I'm holding the ball too long, not getting rid of the ball. So I'm gonna continue to get better at that, and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to help the team win.”
Sarkisian, for his part, said the responsibility doesn’t sit on Manning alone.
“We've got to block better. That goes without saying.
We've got to call things that allow the ball to get out of his [Manning's] hand a little quicker. At the same token, we can't lose our stinger as an offensive football team.”
Texas may need all of that and more on Saturday, especially with the possibility of being without injured WR Cam Coleman (shoulder), WR Ryan Wingo (quad) and RB Hollywood Smothers (shoulder/knee) in its first true road game since a 20-17 win at Tennessee on Sept. 26.
If Sarkisian is trying to lift his quarterback before a game that could define Texas’ season, it makes sense. Manning is the one offensive player who has to steady everything when it starts to wobble - even when he’s the one who helped knock it off course.
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The next step is a far tougher one. Texas is heading into a demanding run of road games, and those trips will say plenty about whether Mannings improvement is a real turning point or just a brief uptick against friendlier competition. With College Football Playoff positioning hanging in the balance, the Longhorns are about to find out how much of this turnaround can survive when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]