This is the way Steve Sarkisian wants the Texas quarterback room to look
With the addition of Coastal Carolina transfer quarterback MJ Morris on Thursday, the Texas Longhorns quarterback room has the pieces and numbers Steve Sarkisian prefers heading into a season.
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Numbers: Four
Sarkisian has said in the past he likes a four-man quarterback room. That wasn’t exactly feasible during some of his early seasons with Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning on the roster with each possessing multiple years of eligibility. But now that Manning is entering what’s likely his final year at Texas, it’s a little easier to fill the room to the preferred number of four scholarship quarterbacks.
The Starter: Arch Manning
Sarkisian has his bona fide starter. There’s no real competition this spring and summer for the QB1 spot. It belongs to Manning, as do expectations for the Longhorns to contend for the national championship.
2025 stats: 248-for-404, 3163 yards, 26 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 10 rushing touchdowns, 1 receiving touchdown
The Veteran: MJ Morris
Morris was a member of the high school class of 2022 and has played in a number of offensive systems at Maryland, NC State, and Coastal Carolina. He has experience versus Power Four opponents and understands the level of preparation needed at this level. While he may not be as talented as the starter, his job isn’t to contend for the No. 1 job or even be part of Texas’ future plans. He’s there to elevate the floor for the quarterback room and, if needed, make a few plays in meaningful games as a quick stand-in if he earns that place on the depth chart. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
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2025 stats: 35-for-60, 304 yards, 1 touchdown, 4 interceptions
The Second-Year Player: KJ Lacey
Lacey was the third-string quarterback last year, a familiar spot for true freshmen in Sarkisian’s program. Maalik Murphy was the third-stringer in 2022 and Manning was third on the depth chart for nearly all of 2023. Lacey advanced past a fellow freshman in Trey Owens and was able to log a pass in his only appearance versus Sam Houston. Morris was brought in for his experience more so than his talent, so Lacey shouldn’t view the imPorted Chanticleer as a threat to his future. In fact, Lacey has a good chance to be the back-up to Manning this upcoming season.
2025 stats: 1-for-1, 7 yards
The Freshman with a Future: Dia Bell
Morris may end up being competition for Bell during his first year on the 40 Acres. Bell, who missed most of his senior season with an undisclosed injury, would benefit greatly from a year spent developing, learning the system, and getting his feet wet on scout team. Someone like Morris, who won’t be at Texas next season, can provide Bell with the competition he needs while also not acting as a threat to Bell’s path to future playing time in the post-Manning era. Bell can also look at how Manning handled life as a third-stringer in a four-quarterback room in 2023 and use those lessons in his own career. The future is bright for Bell, whose role is now more clearly defined heading into his first year.
Recruiting ranking: No. 8 overall prospect, No. 3 quarterback, No. 1 player in Florida in the Rivals Industry Ranking.
