AUSTIN, Texas - KJ Lacey finally got the kind of reps that can actually tell you something.
In Texas’ 59-7 rout of Texas State on Saturday at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, the sophomore quarterback logged the most extensive action of his young career, entering midway through the third quarter and taking 18 snaps. He finished 6-of-7 for 55 yards and added a six-yard run, a short line on paper that still offered a real look at why the Longhorns keep talking about him the way they do.
For the past 19 months, two things have followed Lacey around the program: the Bryce Young comparisons, and the belief that his game sharpens when the setting feels closer to real football than practice. On Saturday, both showed up.
“I just think there’s a level of consistency and comfort in the system. He definitely has playmaking ability. I think we saw that today,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said after the game.
Lacey’s first snap was the kind that turns heads. He rolled left, kept his balance, and fired a tough throw to freshman wide receiver Jermaine Bishop with a defender in his face. The ball had to clear an underneath defender, and Lacey put it exactly where it needed to go.
“Rolling to his left, getting his hips around, and hitting Jermaine Bishop on a corner route, I mean, that’s not easy. That’s a tough play to make,” Sarkisian said.
The next play showed a different part of his game. On a run-pass option, Lacey made the right read, saw the throw wasn’t there and tucked it, turning the play into a six-yard scramble before sliding to protect himself. Texas finished that drive with a 21-yard touchdown run from fifth-year running back Raleek Brown.
When Lacey returned in the fourth quarter, he kept stacking clean decisions. He hit fifth-year wide receiver Sterling Berkhalter on a slant for nine yards on third-and-4, then came right back with a well-timed back-shoulder throw to Berkhalter on a fade for 17 yards while two defenders closed in.
He also showed how comfortable he is moving to his left. On one play, he drifted out of the pocket and gave sophomore tight end Emaree Winston time to uncover in the flat for a seven-yard gain.
There was a rough patch later in the drive. After a seven-yard screen to Bishop, Texas got behind the chains when senior right guard Jaydon Chatman was flagged for a false start. Two runs by senior running back Ryan Niblett picked up 10 yards, but left the Longhorns short, and the offense settled for its only field-goal attempt of the game after Lacey’s throw to sophomore wide receiver Daylan McCutcheon on a slot wheel route sailed out of bounds.
Sarkisian said Lacey had a chance to get the needed five yards if he had decided to run after moving left.
“You could see his feet working for him. I think there was a third down in there, if he could have back, he probably would have used his legs and run, which is what he’s capable of doing,” Sarkisian said.
The game never really gave Texas a long runway to feature him. With the score out of hand, the Longhorns leaned on the ground game on their final possession.
“It was a little hard because of the score. I was trying to get him some throws and not just hand the ball off, but also be respectful of GJ [Kinne] and their team,” Sarkisian said.
Even with just seven pass attempts, the outing mattered for Arch Manning’s backup. It gave Texas a clearer glimpse of what Lacey can do when the pace picks up and the pocket starts to move. Sarkisian came away sounding confident that the Alabama product is tracking the right way.
“I think KJ is a really good player,” Sarkisian said. “I think he knows our system, and I think we can we can tailor it to his strengths when he gets in the game. He’s a good player for us.”
In Other News...
Texas Fixed One Problem But Sarkisian Still Saw Costly Mistakes
Steve Sarkisian spent the offseason trying to clean up one of Texas most frustrating habits, and the first glimpse of progress came in the opener against Texas State. The Longhorns were flagged four times for 35 yards, a noticeable step forward from last years penalty problems and a sign that the emphasis on discipline was not empty talk. Three of the flags came on offense and one on defense, which at least suggested a team that was more manageable than the one that spent too many Saturdays in self-inflicted trouble.
Still, the improved total did not mean the performance was spotless, and Sarkisian had reason to see the remaining mistakes as more than minor blemishes. Some of the penalties mattered more than others, and that is where Texas will be judged as the schedule stiffens. The Longhorns can point to a cleaner opener, but the bigger question is whether the new standard holds up when the moments get tighter and the margin for error gets thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Gets A Massive Early Chance To Prove Itself Against Ohio State
The first full week of the college football season barely moved the top of the rankings, with only No. 24 Louisville taking a loss, but Texas still came away with a bump after a decisive win over Texas State. The Longhorns now sit higher in the AP Poll and are staring at one of the biggest measuring-stick games on the schedule, a home date with No. 1 Ohio State that will say plenty about where this team really stands.
It is the kind of early showcase that can shape a season long before conference play takes over, especially with the rest of Texass 2026 opponents also beginning to show their own early-season form. The updated AP and Coaches Polls offer one snapshot of where the Longhorns belong right now, but the Ohio State game is the one that will matter most when it comes to credibility, momentum, and the national conversation around Texas. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Faces One Huge Chance Against Ohio State In Austin
Texas got a clean opening act in Week 1, showing enough on both sides of the ball in a win over Texas State to leave the bigger questions for a far tougher stage. Ohio State handled Ball State in its opener, and now the matchup that has been circled since the schedule came out arrives in Austin, where Texas has a real chance to measure itself against one of the sports standard-bearers in front of its own crowd.
Matthew McConaughey already put a spotlight on the setting by calling it a chance for the Buckeyes to come to Texass house next, and that kind of build-up only adds to the weight of the game. The Longhorns know the details will matter, from how they handle key matchups to whether their offense and defense can carry over the promise from Week 1, because this one is less about surviving an early test and more about seeing what Texas looks like when the stakes rise on its own field. [Read more 🡒]