From fan favorite to villain?
If Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning and his former target Parker Livingstone are still living together, it’s officially a house divided after Livingstone entered the NCAA
transfer portal last week and committed to the Oklahoma Sooners on Tuesday.
It’s a shocking heel turn for Livingstone after a breakout 2025 season that endeared the Lucas Lovejoy product to the fanbase, his surprising departure after the Citrus Bowl win, and his subsequent decision to release a farewell message that included a notable final paragraph.
“Never in a million years did I think I would be going into the portal looking for a new home. Some things are out of my control. Such is the reality of the ever-changing landscape of college football. Emptied my tank every day for this great university, my teammates & all the good folks of Texas. Grateful,” Livingstone wrote.
A choice presumably made in concert with agent Ron Slavin, who also represents Quinn Ewers and Byron Murphy, not only sparked national commentary accusing the Longhorns of essentially cutting Livingstone, but also quickly came under scrutiny via a report from OnTexasFootball’s Bobby Burton.
Given Livingstone’s production and the team’s need to land a WR1 out of the portal, the offer reportedly made by Texas seems more than fair with Livingstone’s continued linearity as a route runner capping his ceiling.
And now the whole situation will be a central storyline during next October’s Red River Rivalry as the former roommates face off against each other since Livingstone opted against transferring to Indiana, which hosted him for a weekend visit.
There may be bad blood.
