It appears that the Arch Manning experience may be on its last legs in Austin.
According to a report from ESPN's Pete Thamel, the Texas Longhorns are planning to give an uptick in reps to redshirt freshman quarterback KJ Lacy Jr. this week ahead of the team's game vs. the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday. According to Thamel, Manning is still expected to be the starter, but this move is being made as a signal that Lacy could replace Manning, should the struggles continue.
The Longhorns have lost their last two games, both to unranked teams, the Oklahoma Sooners and Florida Gators. In those games, Manning threw for 433 yards, with four touchdowns and two interceptions. So far this year, Manning has completed 63% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and five
interceptions.
Sources: Texas is expected to give an up-tick in first-team quarterback reps to redshirt freshman KJ Lacey Jr. this week in practice. Arch Manning still projects as the Texas starter. The uptick in Lacey’s reps is a signal that Texas could replace Manning if he continues to… pic.twitter.com/OPOQQy0dcE
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 19, 2026
Lacy, a former 4-star QB in the class of 2025, has played minimal snaps in his career thus far, completing 8-of-9 passes for 70 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.
Manning was among the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy coming into this year, while the Longhorns were one of the favorites to win the national championship. However, through six games, they have picked up two losses and currently sit at No. 18 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll.
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This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Texas Longhorns weighing potential benching of QB Arch Manning
