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Teaxs' Quarterback Battle for Arch Manning's Old Role Remains Unsettled

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Kevin Matthew Borba | Last updated Aug 1, 2025 6:00 PM ET

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian announced Arch Manning as the program's starting quarterback back in February, but behind him the room is still murky.

After waiting his turn behind eventual seventh-round pick of the Miami Dolphins, Quinn Ewers, the nephew of former NFL stars Peyton and Eli Manning, is now the guy in Austin. However, someone will need to slide into his old role as QB2 in order to provide depth, or play in case of emergency.

Who is Arch Manning's Backup?

Behind Manning, the Longhorns have a unique quarterback room as it features redshirt freshman and 2024 four-star, Trey Owens, as the perceived front runner to win the role. However, the Longhorns also landed 2025 four-star KJ Lacey, and brought in Troy transfer Matthew Caldwell.

Texas marks the fourth program for Coldwell, who put together a decent season at Troy in 2024, where he threw for 1,608 yards and 13 touchdowns to eight interceptions.

As it stands right now, there doesn't seem to be a clear winner, according to On3's Ethan Vieth.

"Caldwell and Owens are in a battle, and no singular player will be chosen until we get really near the season," wrote Vieth. "Scrimmages and cohesion with receivers will be extremely important for the two."

What Does Steve Sarkisian Want in a QB2?

“One, do they know what to do, and that kind of comes from, is the ball going where it’s supposed to go?” Sarkisian told Vieth. “Two, are they throwing it with some accuracy? Not every throw is going to be perfect, but there’s some accuracy there. And then three, probably one of the bigger things I look for is, how do they respond to negative plays? How do they respond to a poor throw? How do they respond to a poor read or a bobbled snap or an interception? Because that’s as close as I can get them to real football.”

What This Means for Texas

Unlike Ewers, who had perceived all-world quarterback behind him in Manning, Texas' quarterback room is far from solidified. While fans and coaches alike hope there isn't a reason that requires a backup coming in during a key moment in place of Manning, it's better to be prepared than to be exposed.

Although there are more critical battles, such as wide receiver, offensive line and corner, taking place in Austin, the battle for the backup quarterback role is also heating up.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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