The Arch Manning era cannot, and will not, last forever for the Texas Longhorns.
However, while the name on the back of the jersey might not hold the same amount of weight in the future, that doesn't mean that the Horns will be without a star quarterback in their backfield.
Not only does head coach Steve Sarkisian have one former blue-chip prospect lined up behind Manning, but he has two, with a third one on the way to campus in just a couple of years.
Currently, four-star K.J. Lacey (No. 18 QB in class of 2025) and five-star Dia Bell (No. 4 QB in class of 2026) are the second- and third-string quarterbacks behind Manning, with four-star Neimann Lawrence committed to Texas in the class of 2028.
Read more: Another blue-chip QB is heading to the 40 Acres after Texas lands Neimann Lawrence
When asked about the bounty of depth he has at the position, and how true freshman Bell is coming along, Sarkisian had nothing but praise for his quarterbacks.
"I feel very good about K.J.; he's doing some really good things, but I will say, Dia is as far along or maybe even further along than anybody we've had in that role," Sarkisian said after a fall camp scrimmage.
That is a really strong statement to make about a quarterback who has only been on the 40 Acres for a handful of months. Especially when you consider the amount of talent that Sarkisian has coached in the quarterback role over the last five years or so.
Dia Bell could be the next great quarterback for the Longhorns
Between Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, the average rating of Sarkisian's starting quarterbacks at Texas has been five-star-plus and rated as 99.575 overall athletes. Both were the No. 1 overall prospects in their recruiting class, and while Ewers spent a season at Ohio State, he remained a top-four prospect in the transfer portal in 2021.
In other words, Bell exceeding the expectations that Sarkisian had for him, and appearing to be more well-equipped than the likes of Ewers or Manning, is huge for the program.
"[Bell] has an innate feel for the game, and he is a natural passer. He's got great leadership qualities, and it's instinctual," Sarkisian said. "As always, at that position, that's always a kind of work in progress... we have to find ways to keep pressure on them."
Of course, Bell has yet to play a single second of collegiate-level football against a defense other than his own.
Also read: Projecting Texas football's 2026 depth chart before the start of fall camp
However, with how Sarkisian is already singing his praises, even with Lacey as the expected QB2 this season, the Longhorns are clearly going to be in good hands for years to come.
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