Texas is preparing for a different kind of challenge than the one it expected when Mississippi State comes to town on Saturday. With star quarterback Kamario Taylor already out for the season, the Bulldogs are now trending toward a third option at the position: AJ Swann.
CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported Saturday that Mississippi State is expected to start Swann against No. 11 Texas, rather than Parker Puckett, who many assumed would get the call once Taylor was sidelined.
It’s been trending toward Mississippi State starting AJ Swann at quarterback today against No. 11 Texas, sources tell @CBSSports.
Swann had been the third-string QB behind Kamario Taylor, who is now out for the season, and Parker Puckett, who was previously Taylor’s backup.… pic.twitter.com/3are16JT1z
- Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) October 31, 2026
Swann is not new to college football, and in that sense he brings more experience than the average emergency starter. He has played at Vanderbilt, LSU and Appalachian State, and he has put up 4,236 passing yards with 32 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in his career. But he has never taken a snap for Mississippi State, which makes him a fresh look for a Texas defense that has had no real chance to study him in this system.
The bigger issue for the Bulldogs may be what Swann does not bring. He is not the kind of dual-threat quarterback Texas had to worry about with Taylor. Across four seasons, Swann has lost 72 yards rushing and has only one rushing touchdown, a profile that could invite Texas to attack the backfield aggressively.
That opens the door for the Longhorns’ pass rush to make life miserable. Lance Jackson, Rasheem Biles and Hero Kanu could have a chance to pile up sacks and pressures, even with Colin Simmons and Richard Wesley out.
Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby clearly sees something in Swann that pushed him ahead of Puckett, though the source of that decision isn’t obvious from the outside. The Bulldogs have dropped three straight since Taylor went down against Missouri a month ago and Puckett took over, so Lebby may simply be searching for a spark.
Texas has 19 sacks this season, including 10.5 from Simmons, and that total could climb quickly if Swann spends much of the afternoon under pressure.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Just Landed In The Arch Manning Rumor Storm
Arch Mannings name is back in the rumor cycle, and this time the speculation is stretching well beyond the usual offseason chatter. Reports around the Texas quarterback have picked up after former ESPN analyst David Pollack said an SEC coach suggested Manning could move on from Texas after the 2026 season, with Georgia mentioned as a possible destination. Other reporting has also connected Manning to Ole Miss, adding another layer to a conversation that has quickly spread across the SEC.
For Texas, the bigger point is not the destination being floated but the fact that Mannings future is suddenly being discussed at all. He has not commented publicly on the rumors and remains committed to the Longhorns for now, but the noise around him is only going to grow as long as outside voices keep attaching his name to other programs. In a sport where quarterback movement can reshape everything, even a stray rumor about a player like Manning is enough to keep people watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Coleman Gave Texas A Spark Then Left Fans Worried
Cam Coleman gave Texas exactly the kind of early burst it needed against Mississippi State, turning two catches into 61 yards and a touchdown before the first half had even settled in. After being listed on the injury report earlier in the week with a shoulder issue from the previous game, he was cleared to play and looked ready to make an immediate impact.
Then came the part that had Longhorns fans watching closely. Coleman was seen heading to the locker room in the second quarter without any obvious injury moment on the field, leaving a jolt of concern after such a promising start and raising fresh questions about his status for the rest of the game. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Backfield Suddenly Has A Bigger Problem Than Fans Expected
Texas backfield took another hit against Mississippi State when Hollywood Smothers was injured after absorbing a hard shot and had to be taken to the medical tent. It was already a frustrating afternoon for the Longhorns ground game, and Smothers had only a limited role before leaving, while Raleek Brown continued to show why he has become such an important part of the rotation.
Smothers had already missed two games because of a lower-leg injury, and the bigger concern now is how much more time he might lose in a backfield where Brown has clearly been the more productive runner this season. Brown has outpaced him in both rushing yards and touchdowns, which only sharpens the pressure on Texas to sort out a situation that has gone from inconvenient to potentially much more serious. [Read more 🡒]