kdhnews
AUSTIN, Texas — After two straight disappointing offensive showings, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is taking a hard look at his team's performance. When asked about the evaluation process, Sarkisian emphasized that everything is on the table. "Everything means everything," he stated on Saturday afternoon.
Following a 27-24 home loss to Florida at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Sarkisian did not directly indicate that quarterback Arch Manning would be benched. He also declined to answer multiple questions about whether he considered a midgame quarterback change. However, he did acknowledge that the junior could have performed better against the Gators.
Manning threw for 173 yards, his fewest against a power conference opponent this season, and posted a 20.6 quarterback rating, his lowest against any team this year. While he avoided interceptions, he had several questionable misses and a fourth-quarter fumble that stalled a potential go-ahead drive.
Statistically, Manning has been one of the least effective quarterbacks in the SEC. According to Pro Football Focus, his 69.7 overall offensive grade ranks 10th among the conference's 16 primary starters. His 145.3 passer rating ranks ninth, his 11 touchdowns rank ninth, his 63.9% completion rate ranks 10th, and his 1,295 passing yards rank 12th.
Those numbers have contributed to back-to-back losses against unranked teams, where Manning and the offense looked stagnant outside of a few drives. Now, Sarkisian and his staff must decide if Manning is their best in-house option with a postseason berth still a legitimate possibility.
The Longhorns' backup quarterback is redshirt freshman KJ Lacey, a former four-star recruit from Saraland, Alabama. The third-string quarterback is true freshman Dia Bell, a former four-star recruit from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Lacey, who has thrown nine career passes, is the only one of the two who has seen college game action. He was described by 247Sports.com as one of the better pure passers in his high school class, capable of pushing the tempo with a quick release and swift decisions.
Texas looked its best offensively against Florida when it played at a quicker pace early. But if the Longhorns bench Manning in favor of Lacey, they would enter arguably the hardest stretch of their regular-season schedule with a largely unproven quarterback. The Longhorns will face three ranked teams — No. 7 Ole Miss, No. 22 Missouri, and No. 18 LSU — in their next four games, with next week's contest against the Rebels at home.
"It'd be easy for me to say, 'Hey, Arch was the problem today,'" Sarkisian said. "Was Arch perfect? No. But nobody was perfect on offense today. We took turns today. That's where I have to look at every aspect of what we're doing, because if it was one person, it'd be easy."
Manning wouldn't be the first high-profile quarterback benched this season. Michigan benched former top recruit Bryce Underwood during their win against Penn State on Saturday afternoon. Manning and Underwood were both the top high school quarterbacks in their respective classes and each arrived on campus with massive expectations, though Manning was considered a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, while Underwood needed to prove himself after an underwhelming freshman season.
There are fewer instances where preseason Heisman Trophy favorites — which Manning was, at plus-750 alongside Notre Dame quarterback C.J. Carr, per BetMGM — were benched midseason. The last was Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler, the 2021 preseason Heisman Trophy favorite and potential top draft pick, who lost his job to freshman Caleb Williams midseason during that year's Red River Rivalry game against Texas at the Cotton Bowl. Rattler entered the transfer portal that offseason, spent two seasons at South Carolina, and was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints.
A trip to the bench would certainly ding Manning's draft stock. So will further struggles.
Key Analysis
Manning's recent performances have raised doubts about his ability to lead Texas to a successful season. With a challenging schedule ahead, Sarkisian faces a tough decision: stick with the highly touted junior or turn to an unproven backup. The choice could define the Longhorns' season and Manning's future.
Originally reported by kdhnews.