Two losses have turned Texas’ season upside down, dropping the Longhorns from No. 1 to No. 19 and putting their playoff hopes in danger. Arch Manning’s struggles have become impossible to ignore, leaving Steve Sarkisian facing a crucial quarterback decision. But as speculation over Manning’s starting role grows, Sarkisian’s admission about KJ Lacey has added a fresh layer to the story.

During the October 24 College GameDay, Kirk Herbstreit made a revealing observation about a Friday discussion with Steve Sarkisian, ahead of Texas’ Week 8 game against Ole Miss.

“We talked with Sark yesterday about what the week was like. He said, ‘I got to a point last Sunday. I just hit him [Arch] between the eyes with like, ‘Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to give Lacy some reps, and it is what it is,’” Herbstreit recalled his conversation with Sarkisian. However, the Texas head coach was surprised by how Arch Manning has taken to the decision.

“And he [Sark] said he’s been blown away with how he’s [Arch] responded this week in practice. He said, ‘I wish I did this even last year,'” Herbstreit added.

According to reports, Manning took “significantly less” first-team reps in practice this week, while backup KJ Lacey Jr. received more opportunities. Although Steve Sarkisian reportedly prefers to stick with Manning, he is no longer against a change if Manning continues to struggle.

These developments come after Manning endured another disappointing outing in Week 7, marking his second consecutive game without making a meaningful impact. Against Florida, he completed 14 of 20 passes for just 173 yards, was sacked five times, and lost a costly fumble in the final two minutes.

The struggles followed an equally damaging performance against Oklahoma a week earlier, when Manning threw two costly fourth-quarter interceptions, including Peyton Bowen’s 42-yard pick-six, in a heartbreaking 27–24 defeat. These numbers highlight one glaring issue: Manning continues to struggle under pressure.

And that’s not all. The Longhorns have allowed 17 sacks in their first six games, adding to their growing concerns about pass protection.

However, does that mean Manning will be benched? Quite the opposite. While the Longhorns are certainly looking to make some changes, the QB room appears to be sticking with Manning, at least for now, unless he delivers another disappointing performance.

In the conversation with Herbstreit, the head coach revealed that Manning has been putting in significantly more work since learning that Lacey would receive more reps.

A telling statement from Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian after sending mixed signals about Arch Manning’s potential benching. Insiders have already indicated that it would take a truly disastrous performance for the Longhorns to pull the plug on Manning, and on Saturday morning, Pete Thamel appeared to confirm that report.

“Let’s be clear, Steve Sarkisian does not want to replace Arch Manning as his starter. But he has started to prepare to do that if Arch Manning struggles. Backup KJ Lacey Jr. had a precipitous uptick in first-team reps,” Thamel said.

Sarkisian may have no immediate plans to bench Manning, but the quarterback’s future as the starter could hinge on his performance against Ole Miss. Manning must turn his promising practice performances into results on game day, a challenge that has plagued the entire Longhorns squad as they look to recover from back-to-back defeats against unranked opponents.

“Our backs are against the wall right now, and there’s no place we’d rather be,” Manning said. “I’m gonna die on the hill of ‘I’m letting it rip’.”

“I haven’t put good film on tape for the last five weeks, and I’m going to be better,” Manning added. “I’m going to be better for my teammates. I’m going to be better for myself, and I’m going to be better for my coaches.”

Manning appears confident, but Ole Miss presents a formidable challenge. Not only are the Rebels ranked inside the top 10, but they have also given other ranked teams plenty of trouble.