As the Longhorns are making their way through fall camp, having held their second scrimmage on Saturday, many questions about the roster and its talent have been answered, but a few still remain. One of those questions: Who will be the backup for starting quarterback Arch Manning?

It seems like since Manning’s commitment to Texas, everyone knew that he’d be the starter once Quinn Ewers was gone, if not sooner. Well, now that Ewers is beginning his professional career, it is Manning’s time now.

The thing is, the depth and talent that Texas has at the quarterback position doesn’t begin and end with Manning. Although he may be guaranteed the starting position, it is still uncertain who will be named the backup to Manning.

The Longhorns have three potential options: Trey Owens, Matthew Caldwell, and KJ Lacey. The trio are all good quarterbacks. But Caldwell is the more experienced of the three, given that he is a senior.

Matthew Caldwel l

Caldwell is now at his fourth school after spending his freshman year at Jacksonville State, but little playing time led him to use his redshirt and transfer to Gardner-Webb and spend two seasons in Boiling Springs.

In two seasons there, he saw a fair amount of playing time, accumulating 1,314 yards, eight touchdowns, and also throwing six interceptions. After his redshirt-sophomore year, he decided to enter the transfer portal and head to Troy University.

Last season with the Trojans, Caldwell appeared in nine games, throwing for 1,608 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

Caldwell has the experience, albeit not the most successful, but that could help him beat out Lacey and Owens if he can perform well enough through camp. It is his last season, so he’ll do whatever it takes for him to make it co unt.

Trey Owens

Owens is entering the 2026 season as a redshirt-freshman and has been putting on some good performances through fall camp so far, potentially fueled by the competition brought in with Caldwell.

Out of high school, in Cypress, Texas, Owens was rated as a 4-star QB and ranked No. 20 among the position. His recruitment came down to a heavy in-state war between Texas, Baylor, SMU, Texas Tech, and Rice.

Although he may not have the experience that Caldwell does, he has the talent to compete and fight for the job. However, even if he doesn’t beat out Caldwell, Caldwell will be gone next year. But, there is potential for Manning to return to Austin next year, regardless of this season’s outcome, so the issue might be keeping him out of the transfer portal.

Owens only appeared in one game for Texas last year, attempting four passes and completing two for 19 yards. So, it’ll be interesting to see how he can compete against Caldwell, Lacey, and the No. 1 QB in the 2026 class in the future.

KJ Lacey

Lacey is the youngest quarterback in the room, hailing from Alabama. His recruitment came down to a battle between the Crimson Tide and the Longhorns, but he ultimately ended up committing to Sarkisian and the Longhorns.

He will be entering the quarterback room as a true freshman after coming out of high school rated as a 4-star, and was even ranked as high as the No. 4 quarterback in the class, according to Rivals.

Although Lacey likely won’t see much playing time no matter what place he’s in on the depth chart, he’ll likely end up using this year to redshirt and save eligibility, even if he does end up beating out Caldwell and Owens.

But like Owens, he will have to compete with Dia Bell, who is currently rated as the No. 1 QB and No. 4 player overall, when he arrives in Austin next year. It will be interesting to see what happens in the battle for QB2, but fans likely shouldn’t have to wait much longer until an announcement is made by Sarkisian.