While Arch Manning justifiably is the subject of a lot of press surrounding the Texas Longhorns quarterback position, his ascension to the starting role means there are new faces at the second- and third-string spots.

The other two scholarship quarterbacks on roster for the 2025 Texas Longhorns are redshirt freshman Trey Owens and true freshman early enrollee K.J. Lacey. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian was asked about both on Tuesday.

Starting with Owens, Sarkisian said: “Trey feels like year two. It makes a little more sense and it’s a little more smooth. We’re fighting for consistency with him, which is pretty much across the board as a team. Trying to stack plays, stack periods of practice, ultimately stack practices on top of one another.”

Owens, listed at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds out of Houston (Texas) Cy-Fair, played in three games last year. He appeared as the third-stringer behind Quinn Ewers and Manning in contests versus UTSA and ULM. Owens’ Texas roster page also lists an appearance versus Georgia in the SEC Championship game. He was 2-for-4 for 19 yards and also rushed once for three yards.

Owens biggest public splash was in the 2024 Orange-White game. He was 14-for-21 for 228 yards with three touchdowns, helping his Orange team eek out a 35-34 victory over Manning’s White squad.

Listed at 6-foot-0 and 182 pounds, Lacey earned Mr. Football honors in Alabama in 2024. He won one state championship at Saraland in Alabama’s highest classification in 2022 and finished as state runner-up in 2023 and 2024 for the Spartans. In his prep career, he was 624 for 951 with 9883 yards and 123 touchdowns to 20 interceptions. He also rushed for 11 career touchdowns.

Lacey, who enrolled in January, was ranked as the No. 235 overall prospect, the No. 18 quarterback, and the No. 13 player in Alabama in the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking. On3 ranked Lacey as the No. 39 quarterback and the No. 16 player in Alabama.

“KJ, natural ability,” Sarkisian said about Lacey. “You see it all. When he knows what to do, it’s a very pretty thing. When he doesn’t know what to do, he looks like a guy in his seventh practice of college football.”

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Texas has used or needed multiple quarterbacks in a significant portion of their seasons since Mack Brown took over for John Mackovic.

Two-signal callers played in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. The back-up is always one play away from entering, and that one play has happened often in Austin in the past 30 years. Owens and Lacey have to be ready to play if their number is called, just as Manning was in 2024.

That said, Texas is in no rush to determine roles for Owens and Lacey. Sarkisian spoke Wednesday about how important development was for not just the young players on the roster, but for everyone. That includes the quarterback position.

Quarterback is the position Sarkisian calls the most important in sports, so development there in AJ Milwee‘s room might take a little bit of priority for the Texas offensive brain trust. Through half of Texas’ allotted spring practices, Sarkisian thinks it’s so far, so good at the quarterback spot behind Manning.

“I’ll say for both those guys, I think they’re taking the coaching,” Sarkisian said. “As you guys know, we coach that position very hard. But they’re responding to that, which is good.”

DJ Campbell (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

DJ Campbell and Kelvin Banks were an all time one-two punch when it comes to offensive line recruiting. Banks was everything he was billed to be and more, in his three years he solidified himself as one of the best lineman in Longhorn history. Banks’ soon to be first-round pick status will reward all that he achieved in Austin. Campbell, once a multi-sport star out of Arlington Bowie, has taken a bit longer to reach his lofty recruiting ranking.

On paper, he’s everything you want from a guard. He just needs to do it more consistently. He’s a mauler with a bit of nasty who can get to the second level and pave the road. It’s no secret that Steve Sarkisian and Kyle Flood want to field an offense that can consistently and effectively run the ball, but that’s continued to be an elusive task.

Our offseason reporting about Campbell has been very optimistic and he’s down about 10 lbs from last season. Now, after Tuesday’s media availability with Sarkisian, it’s evident Campbell is closer than ever before to attaining star status.

“This is probably the best version of DJ Campbell we’ve gotten,” Sarkisian said. “I think he’s taken a really big step from a leadership standpoint, from an energy standpoint.”

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On the other side of the ball, one would do well to remind themselves of how T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy’s breakout in 2023 and subsequent draft selection inspired Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton. The two saw their teammates work and performance and applied it to their own games, producing huge seasons for a historic Texas defense. That type of player inspired accountability is what continually occurs in top line programs. Success inspires work ethic which garners production.

In 2025, Texas will return only Campbell as a starter on the offensive line. Cole Hutson and Trevor Goosby don’t lack experience, but it’s a group that needs a leader. Sark’s offense relies on interior linemen to identify protections and Campbell will have a huge task in that regard as center Jake Majors moves on and Quinn Ewers is replaced by Arch Manning. Manning could unlock the downfield threat Sark’s offense has been lacking, but the deep passing game is only as dynamic as the power run game is effective.

Campbell will be relied on to establish the run and the Spring returns on his development are promising.

Texas Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers predicted to land with lowly NFC team image

With the 2025 NFL Draft now under a month away, Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers will be one of the most interesting prospects to keep an eye on.

At one point, Ewers was thought to be a contender to be the No. 1 overall pick. That was before the start of the 2024 college football season. Now, he’s widely viewed to be a second-round pick.

Ewers ended up completing 65.8 percent of his pass attempts for 3,472 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions during his junior season at Texas. He played well, but did not live up to the major hype that he received before the year began.

Despite his draft stock dropping, Ewers still has major potential. Whoever ends up landing him could end up getting a huge steal.

That being said, a new prediction has been made for where Ewers will land in the NFL Draft.

Matt Miller, an NFL Draft expert for ESPN, has predicted that Ewers will end up being selected with the No. 40 overall pick in the second round by the New Orleans Saints.

“Derek Carr will be back in 2025, but there’s a sense around the league that he’s a placeholder while the Saints draft their QB of the future. Ewers has injury concerns, but he did lead the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff semifinals in back-to-back seasons. He’s a touch-and-timing passer who would fit new coach Kellen Moore’s offense. Ewers doesn’t add value as a runner and must work at seeing the field faster, but his arm talent and mechanics are fits for a future NFL starter.”

Landing with the Saints might be a blessing for Ewers. Derek Carr is clearly not the long-term answer for New Orleans. Ewers might be given a chance to compete for playing time early on.

It has been awhile since the Saints were a contender in the NFC. However, they have some nice pieces on the roster.

While there is still a lot of work to do, New Orleans can build back strong over the next few years. Finding a long-term franchise quarterback should be high on the priority list.

Even though Ewers may not be a “home run” pick, there is a lot of untapped potential. If he can develop and reach his full ability, Ewers could end up turning into a very good starting quarterback in the NFL.

Against an old rival on Thursday, the Texas Longhorns may have saved their season—and in spectacular manner.

The Longhorns defeated No. 14 Texas A&M 94-89 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, and Tre Johnson scored the game-winning 3-pointer with 2:08 remaining in the second overtime.

Mike DeCourcy, the bracket forecaster for FOX Sports, predicted that the Longhorns will be among the first four teams eliminated from the NCAA Tournament, making them a bubble team going into this intrastate matchup.

Texas finished 13th in a difficult conference with a meager regular season record of 17-14 (6-12 in the SEC).

However, the Longhorns have a good chance of making the field of 68 after winning two straight games in the SEC Tournament, including a 79-72 victory against Vanderbilt on Wednesday.

San Diego State, Wake Forest, Xavier, and Indiana were among the other bubble teams that suffered losses on Thursday.

Texas, at 19-14, will play Tennessee, the fourth seed and eighth-ranked team, on Friday.

Johnson scored 20 points in the end. For Texas, Jordan Pope had 13, Kadin Shedrick contributed 14, and Tramon Mark had 15.

Just before the buzzer, Mark’s short jumper went off the rim, forcing overtime and an exciting ending.

With 29 points and a 17-for-18 shooting percentage from the free-throw line, Wade Taylor IV led the Aggies (22-10) and took the lead in SEC career tournament scoring. Before fouling out, Manny Obaseki had 17 points.

Henry Coleman III finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while Andersson Garcia contributed 13.

Texas: Trying to stay on the bubble of the tournament and perhaps needing victories to keep coach Rodney Terry in his job, the Longhorns had lost four of their previous five games going into Nashville.

Now that they have won two of their previous three games, this should assist.

Texas A&M: The Aggies have advanced to the 2022 and 2023 championships and are an SEC-best 7-3 in their last three SEC tournaments.

Last year, they were defeated in the semifinals.

Five Aggies, including Hayden Hefner in his fifth season, have participated in nine or more SEC Tournament games.

Texas had to play for five more minutes after Shedrick’s dunk with 4.6 seconds remaining in the first OT.

Don’t blame the fear of tampering from other rivals. Don’t blame at injuries, and don’t blame a packed college football schedule that seems to get more crowded each season.

In his first offseason meeting with the media Monday at Royal-Memorial Stadium, Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian said the reasons for eliminating the Longhorns’ annual Orange-White spring game came down to some simple math.

Sarkisian and his staff have 22 freshmen and five new transfers to meld into a 2025 team with lots of new faces in lots of new places. Working within the constraints of a spring game at the expense of a standard practice doesn’t make sense for a team that needs as much practice time as it can get, Sarkisian said.

Spring football begins March 25, and Sarkisian emphasized how critical each workout can be, especially for a team that loses most of its starting offensive linemen, a three-year starter at quarterback in Quinn Ewers and some longtime defensive staples such as cornerback Jahdae Barron and edge Barryn Sorrell.

“We’re not having a spring game because I’ve got 27 new faces on my roster that I need to take time to develop,” Sarkisian said. “That development starts at the beginning of spring ball, where we’ve got to really build a foundation of understanding the whys of what we do, from how we practice to the drills that we do, to the foundational aspects of the offense, the defense, the special teams.

“The challenge for us as a coaching staff is to grow quickly. Because I do believe we have a talented football team, but we have some youth and we have some inexperience, and I’m really pressing upon everybody in our program — coaches and staff members included — to take the next step and to develop the leadership that’s needed on this team.”

So, no fear of any rivals watching the spring game on the SEC Network or spying from a rooftop of the Brazos Parking Garage along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard?

Sarkisian brushed off the suggestion, especially since the planned fan fest that will take place instead of a spring game is scheduled for April 26, one day after the 10-day spring transfer window closes.

“To be clear, we’re not not having a spring game so people don’t tamper with our players,” he said. “They could go out and catch five touchdowns on that Saturday (and) they couldn’t go in the portal anyway. People are going to tamper with our players, whether we like it or not. That’s fine. Hopefully, we’ve built a culture they (the Texas players) believe in (and) they feel like this is the best place for them.”

Texas football: End of spring game part of trend

Regardless of the reasons, Texas joins a growing trend of college football teams cancelling their spring games. According to an ESPN article published Tuesday, 19 programs in one of the four power conferences have eliminated their spring game this year.

Nebraska’s Matt Rhule said he “dealt with a lot of people offering our players a lot of opportunities after” last year’s spring game, according to the ESPN article.

“The word ‘tampering’ doesn’t exist anymore, it’s just absolute free, open, common market,” Rhule said. “And so, I don’t necessarily want to open up to the outside world. I don’t want these guys all being able to watch our guys and say, ‘Wow, he looks like a pretty good player. Let’s go get him.’ ”

But Sarkisian said every situation is different. For example, Missouri cancelled its spring game because if stadium construction, and Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz said he may renew the event in the future.

“I don’t know the reasons for everybody else’s rationale,” said Sarkisian, whose team has played 30 games over the past two seasons while reaching two consecutive College Football Playoff semifinals. “I’ve heard the wear-and-tear aspect of it. I’ve heard the transfer portal and the tampering aspect of it.”

Sarkisian: Spring game latest in line of changes

But he also says the elimination of the spring game is just the latest significant change on the calendar. The traditional signing day in February has been relegated to a recruiting footnote, since most freshmen now sign in December and enroll in January for the spring semester. And the multiple transfer windows coincide with the NIL opportunities now available to college athletes.

“I think college football has evolved so much in the last three years,” Sarkisian said. “Things have changed, calendars have changed. I’m just not one to sit here with my head in the sand and say, ‘We’re going to keep doing it the way we’ve always done it.’ ”

Sarkisian said the trend of early-enrollees for freshmen played an especially critical role in his decision about the spring game.

“We’ve got 22 (freshmen) guys,” he told the gaggle of reporters Monday. “They’re trying to figure out college life. And then, no offense to you guys, you guys are going to write about the one guy who dropped two passes and couldn’t line up and all sudden he’s a bust. That’s not fair to him, you know? I’m just being mindful of everybody in our program, of what’s in the best interest for Texas football come the fall.”

At the 2025 NFL Combine, former Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron shared an amazing story about the Longhorns’ new starting quarterback, Arch Manning.

; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during pregame against the Kentucky Wildcats at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during pregame against the Kentucky Wildcats at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

The NFL Combine is more than just an opportunity to show off their on-field skills. They also get the chance to talk up their college program and their teammates. Former Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron did just that when he was speaking to members of the media, specifically about Longhorn quarterback Arch Manning.

“He’s the most humble kid I’ve ever been around,” Barron said. “And, never even told this story, I think the second week he was there, as a freshman, he’s like two lockers down from me and he asked to take my loop to the laundry thing.”

Barron went on to say that Manning was trying to prove to him that he didn’t think he was better than anybody else in the room and wanted to be a part of the Texas team.

The former Texas defensive back finished with a simple sentiment: “The sky’s the limit for that kid.”

Manning and Barron overlapped for just two seasons at Texas, Manning redshirting his true freshman year and starting in a handful of games during the 2024-25 season. Barron was a leader on the defensive end of the ball for the Longhorns, and it is already looking like Manning could step into a leadership role on the offensive side.

The young quarterback has already been named as the starting QB for Texas next season, which head coach Steve Sarkisian may have let slip a little earlier than expected, even though it seemed like it was set in stone after last season.

Manning has already recorded nearly 1,000 passing yards and has nine touchdowns through the air. He has run for more than 100 yards as well as four touchdowns on the ground.

Others stole the show on senior day, but the Texas Longhorns won in dominant fashion to claim their first-ever SEC title.

Texas Longhorns guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (32) looks for an opening around Florida Gators guard Laila Reynolds (13) in the first half of the Texas Longhorns’ game against the Florida Gators, March 2, 2025 at the Moody Center in Austin.

Texas Longhorns guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (32) looks for an opening around Florida Gators guard Laila Reynolds (13) in the first half of the Texas Longhorns’ game against the Florida Gators, March 2, 2025 at the Moody Center in Austin. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman /

The No. 1 Texas Longhorns started Sunday’s home game down 8-1 to the Florida Gators but went on a 10-0 run and never looked back in a 72-46 win. Despite some back and forth, the Longhorns would pull away from the Gators thanks to a 25-point third quarter.

On senior day, junior Kyla Oldacre stole the show, scoring a game-high 18 points. She was unstoppable around the basket, shooting 6-9 from the floor and 6-8 from the free-throw line. She also grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists.

Madison Booker drives to the basket against Florida

Mar 2, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Madison Booker (35) drives to the basket against Florida Gators guard Jeriah Warren (20) during the first half at Moody Center.

Junior Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda also had a big game, scoring 11 points for her third-straight game scoring in double-digits. Sophomore guard Madison Booker added 14 points of her own but got into foul trouble, leading to her sitting for most of the third quarter.

Seniors Taylor Jones, Shay Holle and Rori Harmon combined for just 15 points but Harmon dished out nine assists. The freshman saw significant playing time in the final regular season game, with Bryanna Preston, Jordan Lee and Justice Carlton showing the future of what Texas basketball will look like in the future.

Texas dominated the Gators defensively, holding them to just 1-18 from behind the arc and 33% shooting overall. The Longhorns forced 23 turnovers while only turning the ball over 11 times. 11 of the Florida turnovers were steals by Texas and despite being out-rebounded by the Gators, the Longhorns dominated the paint.

The Longhorns were honored as SEC regular season champions after the game, winning the title in their first season in the league

Now, after South Carolina beat Kentucky, the fate of the No. 1 seed will be left to the coin toss in Birmingham. At the halftime of the LSU and Ole Miss game, the coin toss will be televised on SEC Network.

Texas Women’s Basketball traveled to Vic Schaefer’s old stomping grounds to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Things didn’t improve from the Georgia game. The Longhorns struggled to beat the Bulldogs 68-64. Here are the three takeaways from the game tonight.

Texas Women’s Basketball played its second-to-last game on its regular season schedule in Starkville tonight. It took on Vic Schaefer’s old team, the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Longhorns struggled in the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs on Monday night. It felt like we watched the same episode against the Bulldogs tonight. That kind of play will kick the Longhorns out of March Madness as quickly as possible.

The Longhorns still found a way to beat the Bulldogs 68-64 tonight. While it wasn’t pretty, it’s starting to get concerning with the SEC Conference Tournament and March Madness right around the corner. They can’t have Madison Booker having mediocre nights, or it will be a quick exit for the Longhorns. They have to do better against teams like Georgia and Mississippi State. Here are the three takeaways from tonight’s narrow win over the Bulldogs.

Texas Women’s Basketball: 3. Turnovers cause problems for Longhorns

I don’t think Schaefer will be happy with the number of turnovers in tonight’s game against the Bulldogs. There were way too many turnovers that could have resulted in points for the Longhorns. If Texas ends up playing LSU or South Carolina in the SEC Tournament, those ten turnovers could be the difference between winning the SEC Championship or being the runner-up. The Longhorns have to play clever moving forward, and it begins on Sunday against the Florida Gators.

Texas Women’s Basketball: 2. Fought adversity tonight

You must credit the Longhorns for finding a way to beat a Bulldogs team looking to pull off an upset. They could have allowed the Bulldogs to walk all over them tonight. Tonight’s win felt like the win against the LSU Tigers the other week.

The Longhorns continued to fight despite the numerous lead changes throughout the game. That’s the type of resiliency you want from your basketball team heading into the conference tournament. However, most Texas fans wanted a dominating win over the Bulldogs tonight.

Texas Women’s Basketball: 1. Have to work on three-point selection

The Longhorns took terrible three-point shot attempts tonight when they could have moved the ball inside the paint. I know it’s addicting to keep shooting threes until you make one, but the Longhorns have had better success inside the paint this season. Schaefer should look at trying to draw up plays to get the ball to the basket. The Longhorns would have a better offense if they prioritized that over shooting three-pointers. The Longhorns wrap up the regular season against the Florida Gators on Sunday afternoon.

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