Steve Sarkisian left the door open Saturday night, and he didn’t bother to narrow it.
After Texas fell 27-24 at home to Florida for its second straight loss, the Longhorns coach said every option is on the table when it comes to evaluating the offense.
"Everything's going to be evaluated," Sarkisian told reporters after Saturday's 27-24 loss at home to Florida, according to The Athletic's Matt Baker.
Pressed on whether that could include a quarterback switch, Sarkisian didn’t soften the message.
"Everything means everything."
Arch Manning’s latest outing was another rough one in a season that hasn’t found much rhythm. He went 14 of 20 for 173 yards and a touchdown, but Florida got to him repeatedly, sacking him five times. Then, with less than two minutes to go, he lost a fumble that helped Florida close out the win.
Manning’s numbers tell the larger story. After Saturday’s early games, he sat 72nd in EPA/dropback among 130 qualifying quarterbacks this season, per TruMedia. He has completed 63.9% of his passes and has committed six turnovers.
Texas, as a team, has had the same problem on a larger scale: the offense just hasn’t moved the ball with any consistency. The Longhorns rank 105th in yards per play at 5.4 and 121st in yards per carry at 3.6. Against Florida, they managed only 272 total yards, marking the second time this season they’ve failed to clear 300 in a game.
After the loss, Sarkisian said the message to his players was straightforward.
"I just told the team downstairs what I need them to do is to hang together, stay tight," Sarkisian said when asked what he said to the players postgame, according to On Texas Football's CJ Vogel.
"Our culture is very strong. They need to hang together and allow me to do my job to get them back to the place that I know they're capable of playing."
If Texas does look elsewhere, Karle Lacey Jr. is the next name in the conversation. He has seen spot duty this season after Manning exited blowout wins over UTSA and Texas State. Lacey arrived as a four-star recruit in the 2025 class and was ranked the 116th overall player by ESPN’s 300.
In Other News...
Texas May Be Getting A Very Different Florida Offense Than Expected
Floridas quarterback situation is suddenly a major subplot for the Longhorns, with Aaron Philo trending toward sitting out the upcoming game because of a shoulder injury. If he cannot go, Texas would be preparing for a different look entirely, with sophomore Tramell Jones lined up to make his first career start in a game that already carries plenty of weight for both teams.
Jones was a four-star recruit and has flashed efficiency in limited action this season, enough to draw praise from head coach Jon Sumrall as a potential starting quarterback. For Texas, that means the film and the plan may need a late adjustment, because the offense coming to Austin could be shaped as much by inexperience as by the usual Florida personnel. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Has A Colin Simmons Problem Fans Will Fear
Colin Simmons gave Texas everything it could want from its star edge rusher before the game turned sideways against Florida. He had already piled up eight tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack when he went down with a lower-body injury early in the fourth quarter, a sequence that immediately changed the feel of the Longhorns defense.
Simmons was taken off the field for further examination, and Texas felt the effect almost right away as Florida moved ahead on a field goal while he was out. For a defense built around his disruption, the bigger concern now is how much time the Longhorns may have to manage without the player who had been driving their pass rush all game. [Read more 🡒]
Texas May Have A Colin Simmons Problem They Can't Afford
Texas got a scare in the fourth quarter against Florida when Colin Simmons, its star pass rusher and the nations sack leader, went down with an apparent leg injury. He was helped off the field and taken for further evaluation, leaving the Longhorns with an immediate concern about one of the most important players on their defense.
Simmons has been central to everything Texas wants to do up front, giving the Longhorns the kind of edge pressure that can change a game in a hurry. Any absence would put extra pressure on a defense that leans on him to disrupt opposing quarterbacks, and it adds another layer of urgency as Texas waits to learn more about the extent of the injury. [Read more 🡒]