AUSTIN, Texas — Arch Manning’s hold on the Texas starting quarterback job is no longer guaranteed. After the No. 7 Longhorns fell 27-24 at home to unranked Florida on Saturday, head coach Steve Sarkisian refused to rule out a quarterback change, telling reporters that “everything is going to be evaluated.”
Asked directly whether he considered replacing Arch Manning during or after the loss, Sarkisian opened the door. “I just felt like we didn’t play good offensive football and we’re not playing great offensive football right now. So everything is going to be evaluated,” he said. Pressed on whether “everything” includes his starting quarterback, Sarkisian replied: “Everything means everything.”
The defeat dropped Texas to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in SEC play — a stunning fall for a team that ascended to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 last month behind a comeback win over Ohio State. Manning completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards with a late touchdown to Cam Coleman, but he was sacked five times, lost a fumble on the final drive and fell to 0-2 in his career against Florida. His uncle Peyton was 0-3 against Florida as Tennessee’s quarterback.
Texas built a 17-3 lead Saturday before the Gators rallied to go up by 10 in the fourth quarter, and Manning could not mount another charge. The Longhorns were held under 300 yards of offense, managed just 272 total yards against a Florida defense ranked 131st among 138 FBS teams in passing yardage allowed, and put together only four drives longer than five plays. The third quarter was particularly dire: eight yards on four snaps.
Arch Manning Struggles Define Texas’ Two-Game Skid
The Florida loss was Texas’ second straight 27-24 defeat. A week earlier, in the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma, two fourth-quarter interceptions by Manning directly set up 10 points in the loss that cost the Longhorns their No. 1 ranking. Now, after back-to-back one-score losses, Texas is teetering on the edge of missing the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive year.
“Extremely disappointed,” Sarkisian said. “We didn’t play very good football today outside of about the first quarter. Kinda bled out. They ended up controlling the ball in the second half. Our inability to be effective on first down and also our inability to convert in short-yardage situations, third and short, fourth and short, really was the snapshot of it all.”
“We’ve got a better team than we are right now,” Sarkisian added. “It’s my job to get us to play closer to and ultimately to our potential.” No one disputes that Arch Manning has the arm talent; the question is whether Texas can fix the offense around him.
Why Arch Manning Could Be Headed for the Bench
Through six games, Arch Manning has thrown for 1,295 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 63.9 percent of his passes. The Texas offense has failed to exceed 24 points against any Power Four defense this season — a stark contrast to preseason expectations, when the second-year starter was widely projected as a Heisman Trophy contender and the betting favorite to be the first overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The only viable backup option behind Manning is redshirt freshman K.J. Lacey, who would be stepping into a 1-2 SEC team with its playoff hopes on the line. If Sarkisian does bench Arch Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning would likely need another year before entering the NFL — possibly after transferring to a new program — and analysts already project the deep 2027 quarterback class could push him out of the first round.
Carrying the Manning name has been equal parts blessing and curse, bringing millions in NIL payments along with a standard he is currently falling far short of meeting. Informed of Sarkisian’s comments, Manning acknowledged the reality: “Everyone’s evaluated every week. That’s how it is at a school like this.” Whether Arch Manning remains the starter or not, the next few weeks will define his legacy in Austin.
Arch Manning Faces a Defining Stretch for Texas
Texas hosts Mississippi next week, and the margin for error is gone. Two weeks ago, the Longhorns controlled their own destiny. Now Sarkisian’s vow that every facet of the team will be reviewed hangs over the most scrutinized quarterback in college football — and the Arch Manning era in Austin may be approaching its most consequential crossroads yet.