No, Arch Manning’s spot is not in contention. Coming off somewhat of a roller coaster season in which he showed flashes of both NFL talent and young mistakes, fans can expect Manning to propel himself into the conversation of being a top 10 pick in 2027.
There is, however, an intriguing quarterback battle taking place this spring that could shake things up for the future. The narrative has been that Sarkisian is “all in” for 2026, implying that if this season doesn’t meet expectations, Texas will have to leave the college football poker table.
The reality is, Texas has already firmly planted itself at the forefront of the sport, bringing in top recruiting classes and producing an abundance of NFL talent year after year. Sarkisian’s rapport with quarterbacks has attracted top prospects like Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning, and Dia Bell. Getting them there is one thing, but keeping them is another, and Sark has done that exceptionally well.
We’ve addressed that Arch Manning has solidified his starting role, but almost equally important is the young man backing him up. The 14th-ranked QB in the 2025 class, K.J. Lacey, will be returning after a redshirt season, and this year’s top five talent, Dia Bell, will accompany him. Similar to the 2023 season with Ewers, Maalik Murphy, and Manning, this year’s Texas team boasts a talented redshirt and a blue-chip true freshman behind an established starter. In that same season, Murphy was forced to step up in two paramount regular-season games during the Horns’ path to their first CFP berth. Murphy had eventually edged out Manning during spring camp, leading to his role as Ewers’ backup.
Now, the current competition differs only in that it features two quarterbacks with eerily similar play styles to each other and to the starter. Manning, Lacey, and Bell all play with a gritty edge, get the ball out fast but can still go deep, and make the jobs of opposing pass rushers difficult with natural elusiveness. It’s clear where Sark is headed with his ideal QB archetype, but whether this position battle will play out according to plan is uncertain.
We all know Sark’s track record: Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, and Matt Cassel in the same room at USC, and Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, and Mac Jones together at Alabama. The difference is, today’s game doesn’t necessarily champion the idea of “trusting the process” and waiting your turn to embrace development.
Obviously, Sark has seen good quarterbacks take off to other schools with Jalen Hurts and Maalik Murphy, but his ability to retain talent at the same position has been exceptional. If Sark’s plan were executed perfectly, Lacey would start after Manning’s departure, ideally have a productive year, and get drafted. This would give way for a more developed and mature Dia Bell to take the throne.
However, Sark isn't one to shy away from propelling Bell over Lacey to take the second team reps this fall if he feels like Bell earns it. This will ultimately force Lacey to transfer following the conclusion of this season, considering it’s unlikely he’ll gamble with the potential of watching from the sidelines again in 2027.
What's most likely going to happen? Well, it’s pretty safe to say Lacey’s experience with having already undergone a collegiate spring practice cycle will give him an edge. At the end of the day, a QB competition is all in the name: it’s a competition. K.J. Lacey led Saraland to a 6A Alabama state title as a sophomore; he knows how to win. Lacey will come out of this spring having earned himself that second slot on the depth chart.
Nonetheless, it's a storyline Horns fans should be following closely. To casual fans, it may seem trivial, but this isn’t just about who’s likely to start in 2027. It's about who will be throwing to Texas’ depth pieces at receiver all year. Who will be pushing Arch to be better, and God forbid, but who will have to step up if Arch goes down at any point in 2026.