Texas’ quarterback situation has become harder to ignore, and the attention isn’t just landing on Arch Manning anymore.
Manning still sits atop the Longhorns’ depth chart, but after a uneven first half of the season, the noise around Texas’ other options has grown louder. With that in mind, the backup picture matters more now than it did a few weeks ago. The Longhorns have three quarterbacks behind Manning who are worth knowing.
KJ Lacey Jr. is the name most likely to come up first. The redshirt freshman from Saraland, Alabama, arrived at Texas as a four-star recruit and chose the Longhorns after drawing offers from more than 30 Division I programs, including Alabama and Auburn.
He has only appeared in three games, but he has spent enough time in the program to get comfortable with the playbook and the offense. He has also impressed teammates along the way.
“He’s a smooth operator,” junior offensive lineman Brandon Baker said of Lacey. “He’s a great player, great person.”
ESPN reported Monday that Lacey is expected to get more first-team reps this week in practice, but Steve Sarkisian pushed back on that idea during his media availability the same day, saying Lacey always gets first-team reps and is not getting more than usual. If Manning is pulled at any point against Ole Miss this weekend, Lacey would likely be the quarterback to take over for Texas.
Another young option is Dia Bell, whose ceiling has already drawn attention. A 247Sports scouting report described the freshman as having the tools to be a great college quarterback, pointing to his knowledge, arm strength and accuracy. Bell, like Manning, is spending the season developing while waiting for his chance, and Sarkisian has already singled out how far along he is.
“Dia is as far along, or maybe even further along, than anybody we’ve had in that role, and that’s a credit to him,” Sarkisian said in an August media availability. “This guy’s got an innate feel for the game.”
Bell, a former five-star prospect, committed to Texas in June 2024 and then spent the rest of that recruiting cycle helping the Longhorns land more talent in his class. His first game action may still be a ways off, but Texas clearly views him as a possible part of the future.
Then there’s MJ Morris, the veteran of the group. Morris is in his fourth program and fifth year of college football, with stops at NC State, Maryland and Coastal Carolina after beginning his career with two seasons at NC State.
He has mostly worked as a backup during his college career, but he brings experience to the room. On Texas’ depth chart, he sits fourth behind Lacey and Bell.
Whether any of the quarterbacks behind Manning see the field again this season is still up in the air. They might all stay on the sideline.
They might all get a chance. That kind of uncertainty is built into college football, especially when a team is searching for something that can jolt its season.
For Texas, that search has made the quarterback room impossible to overlook.
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