Star quarterback Arch Manning and the Texas offense came into the 2026 season as the preseason No. 1 team with sky-high expectations, but they have fallen completely flat so far. Despite an incredible defense and great talent at the skill positions, the Longhorns have consistently sputtered on that side of the ball.

Now, Manning might be paying the price. Head coach Steve Sarkisian isn't pulling the plug on the former five-star recruit just yet, but backup KJ Lacey Jr. is expected to start getting some more reps and could have a role in Saturday's game against No. 7 Ole Miss, per Pete Thamel of ESPN.

“Sources: Texas is expected to give an up-tick in first-team quarterback reps to redshirt freshman KJ Lacey Jr. this week in practice,” Thamel reported on X, formerly Twitter. “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 struggle.”

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This story will be updated.