Texas coach says quarterback Arch Manning is "edgy" after consecutive losses

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said quarterback Arch Manning is "edgy" as the Longhorns head into the second half of the season with limited margin for error in the College Football Playoff race. The Longhorns, ranked No. 19, have fallen to 4-2 after losing consecutive games to unranked opponents—27-24 to Oklahoma in Week 6 while ranked No. 1, and 27-24 to Florida in Week 7 as the No. 7 team.

Both defeats featured crucial fourth-quarter turnovers by Manning. Against Oklahoma, he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown and later another pick that set up the game-winning field goal. Against Florida, Manning fumbled on the first play after the two-minute warning while Texas trailed by three points.

"I would use the word edgy, and I like it. He's edgy right now... At some point, he's gotta fight back. The best way for him to fight back is going out and playing really good football with his teammates, and enjoy playing football with his teammates," Sarkisian told reporters.

Texas enters Week 8 as a favorite against No. 7 Ole Miss, with another loss potentially ending its playoff hopes. The team finished the 2025 regular season 9-3 and missed the 12-team playoff field.

Sarkisian indicated that the offense will be evaluated after the Florida loss and did not guarantee Manning's starting role. ESPN reported that backup quarterback KJ Lacey is expected to receive more first-team practice reps before the Ole Miss game.

"It just depends, every game's different. I think Arch has had a good week of work, he's prepared himself well. But like the team, we need to play well, so we'll go from there," Sarkisian added when asked about possible in-game changes.