Steve Sarkisian doesn’t rule out benching Arch Manning

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The Texas Longhorns have gone from the No. 1 team in the country to a team in serious danger of missing the College Football Playoff in a matter of two weeks. And with quarterback Arch Manning struggling, head coach Steve Sarkisian did not rule out a change at quarterback.

After Saturday’s home loss to the Florida Gators, Sarkisian was asked about potentially replacing Manning. Sarkisian didn’t rule it out, saying the team will take a hard look at everything after another disappointing offensive performance.

Texas Drops Second Straight

Texas jumped out to a 17-3 lead over Florida on Saturday, helped by a 63-yard punt return touchdown from Ryan Niblett. But the Gators, led by backup quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. in his first career start, scored the next 24 points on their way to a 27-24 upset.

Manning completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown, but he also lost a costly fumble that essentially ended the game. That costly turnover came one week after his late interception allowed Oklahoma to beat Texas in regulation.

To make matters worse, Manning has topped 250 passing yards in just one of his past five games. Texas is now 4-2, with games against Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, and LSU still to come over the next four weeks.

‘Everything is going to be evaluated’

When asked whether he’d consider making a change at quarterback, Sarkisian certainly did not rule it out.

“We’re not playing good offensive football right now, so everything is going to be evaluated,” Sarkisian said, via On3.

Texas’ backup quarterback is redshirt freshman K.J. Lacey, a former four-star recruit who has appeared in two games this season. Sarkisian also didn’t mince words about his team’s overall performance in his opening statement.

“Obviously we’re extremely disappointed. We didn’t play very good football today outside of the first quarter,” Sarkisian said, via Inside Texas. “Very disappointed, but we’ll work and get back. We’ve got a better team than how we’re playing right now. It’s my job to figure out how to get us to play closer to our potential.”

It would be a massive story if Manning – the preseason favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft – were to be benched midway through the season. And it sounds like that’s a real possibility.

The post Steve Sarkisian doesn’t rule out benching Arch Manning appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.

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