Texas is building its 2026 plan around Arch Manning, but the Longhorns know the season could hinge on something a lot less glamorous: who’s standing behind him.
That’s the real quarterback subplot in Austin. Manning is the face of a roster Texas is loading up for a title push, with the program spending big to surround him with help.
The Longhorns added two of the top running backs in the portal, at least one starter along the offensive line, and what may be the biggest receiving threat in the country in Cam Coleman. The message is obvious - this is a win-now roster, and it’s being built with Manning’s likely final season on the Forty Acres in mind.
Manning’s 2025 season showed both sides of the hype. The expectations were enormous when he took over as the starter, and they came down hard after rough outings against Ohio State, UTEP and Florida.
Those early stumbles helped sink Texas’ chances at a third straight College Football Playoff trip. But by the midpoint of the season, Manning and the offensive line both settled in, and he started looking much more like the quarterback people had been projecting.
Still, the backup situation may be just as important in 2026.
Matthew Caldwell handled the role last season and was forced into some meaningful snaps. He threw the game-winning touchdown to Emmet Mosley in overtime against Mississippi State after Manning left with a concussion, and he also completed a pass against Florida while Texas was trying to rally late.
Now the attention shifts to the next layer of the depth chart, where Texas has two very different options.
Dia Bell is the heir apparent. The consensus five-star arrived on campus last January after finishing his prep career as a top-20 player in the country. He brings the kind of tools Steve Sarkisian wants in his offense: a strong deep ball, field vision and enough mobility to use his legs when needed.
“He is a natural passer of the football. He has a great feel for the game” Sarkisian said on National Signing Day.
“He’s a football junkie. He’s a sport junkie.
He works out. He works his tail off and so I just think his leadership, his personality, his ability, but probably most importantly, his competitive spirit, are things that we’re definitely very excited about.”
The issue with Bell is the same one that can trip up even the most gifted young quarterbacks: experience. He missed most of his senior season because of an injury, and after enrolling early at Texas he was slowed again in spring practice by a minor ankle injury. That limited his reps during the spring-ending open practice.
Texas had gone to the portal a year ago for a more seasoned No. 2 behind Manning, but this time Sarkisian and quarterbacks coach AJ Milwee may be leaning toward redshirt freshman KJ Lacey for that job. Texas pulled him out of Alabama, and he arrives with a strong high school résumé: 9,667 passing yards, 122 touchdowns, three state championship trips and one title at Saraland.
“He’s a gamer,” Sarkisian said about Lacy when asked about the backups following Mannings injury in 2025. “He has a natural feel in the pocket and anticipating throws.
He uses his legs really well. I feel like the more this guy grows within our system, he’s going to really elevate his game and he continues to grow and that’s what he’s done.”
That “gamer” label keeps coming up with Lacey because he tends to shine more as the work gets closer to real football. Sarkisian has said that’s been true as practices move from routes on air to team periods and scrimmages, and it showed in the open practice. Lacey hit sophomore wide receiver Daylan McCutcheon for a touchdown at the front pylon, then later connected with early enrollee wide receiver Jermaine Bishop on a 40-yard seam shot during 7-on-7.
The Bryce Young comparisons have followed him around, too. Milwee used it at Peach Bowl Media Day when asked about Lacey by Burnt Orange Nation, former Texas wide receiver Parker Livingstone made the same comparison last October, and Sarkisian brought it up at SEC Media Days.
“I think he would be a dangerous guy this fall if get in the game,” Sarkisian said.
Texas also brought in redshirt senior MJ Morris, a quarterback with stops at NC State, Maryland and Coastal Carolina. He fits the Caldwell mold as a veteran addition, but his open practice performance was shaky. Morris comes in with a career 58.1-percent completion percentage and a 20-to-15 touchdown-to-interception ratio, and that 4.8-percent interception rate stands out over 320 career passes.
For Texas, the big picture is simple: the 2026 season is built for championships, and Manning is the centerpiece. But in the SEC, where the schedule is brutal and the margin for error is tiny, the backup quarterback could end up mattering just as much. That’s why the battle between Lacey and Bell is one of the most important camp competitions on the roster.
In Other News...
Texas Awaits Massive Decision From Elite In-State Sarkisian Target
Landen Williams-Callis is set to make one of the biggest recruiting calls in the state on Saturday, with the Richmond Randle High School star choosing between Texas, SMU, Texas A&M, Houston and Missouri. The five-star running back has spent his prep career piling up records and accolades, and his rise has made him one of the most closely followed prospects in Texas high school football history.
For Texas, the interest is obvious. Sarkisian and his staff have chased elite in-state talent aggressively, and Williams-Callis sits near the top of that board as the No. 3 running back in the country. His announcement will be carried live by Dave Campbell's Texas Football, adding another layer to a decision that already feels like a major swing moment for the Longhorns' 2026 recruiting picture. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Just Got An Unexpected Late Offseason Roster Opportunity
A late offseason roster wrinkle has opened up for Texas, and it could give the Longhorns another look at a group of familiar names from the 2022 recruiting class. A federal ruling in Colorado created the possibility that players who used their final year of eligibility last season can be eligible again, which immediately put a few Texas veterans back into the conversation as the program continues sorting out its 2026 depth picture.
For Texas, the practical impact is simple: there are several players who could wind up back in Austin if their pro paths do not stick. Burke, Hutson, Guilbeau and Finkley are among the Longhorns whose situations are worth tracking, especially since some have already signed undrafted free agent deals and may still choose the NFL route if they make final rosters. It is not a certainty, but it is the kind of late-summer development that can quietly change a teams roster math in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Roster Crunch Leaves Former Contributor In A Brutal Spot
Chendall Weavers path back to Texas has hit a hard roster wall. The former Longhorns guard was granted an extra year of eligibility, a development that would normally create a chance to continue where he left off, but the numbers on the roster have already closed that door. Texas has moved on from that possibility as Sean Millers team fills out its scholarship chart for the upcoming season.
The final spot went to Marcus Spears Jr., whose accelerated arrival gave Texas the last available opening on a 15-scholarship roster. With that in place, Weaver has to look elsewhere even after his previous contributions to the program, a reminder of how quickly roster management can change in the modern game and how little margin there is once a team is full. [Read more 🡒]