Once roommates at the Forty Acres, Arch Manning and Parker Livingstone will only see each other once in the upcoming NCAA campaign. That reunion is set for when the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners go head to head in the 2026 Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. Until then, the once-thought-to-be Texas’ next great QB-WR duo will go their separate ways.
That’s how Livingstone wanted it, as he transferred from the University of Texas in Austin to the University of Oklahoma ahead of the 2026 college football season. For the first time since the transfer to the Longhorns’ foes, Manning broke his silence.
Though they shared a dorm in Austin, the heir to football’s royal quarterback family distanced himself from Livingstone’s decision. Manning made it clear this was all Livingstone, that he would have done things differently, and that even he was taken aback by the news of his transfer to Oklahoma. After all, he may not have known his roommate as well as he thought he did.
“I was a little surprised, but Parker’s a good guy. He’s got a good family. Can’t say I would have done the same thing,” Manning admitted during a press conference. “Obviously, we were roommates, so I wish him all the best. Except when we play the [Sooners].”
Parker Livingstone and Arch Manning during a game
Manning and Livingstone’s chemistry
Livingstone redshirted his freshman year in 2024, when Arch Manning spent most of the college football season behind Quinn Ewers on the Longhorns’ depth chart. Thus, both roommates entered 2025 thirsty to showcase themselves. From the get-go, the chemistry between Manning and Livingstone was impossible to miss.
Settling into the pressure of being Texas’ No. 1 quarterback, Manning always looked for Livingstone in crucial stages of games. The Longhorns’ most explosive plays were seemingly always the ones in which the ‘roomies’ connected. Livingstone finished the 2025 NCAA campaign third in receiving yards (516 yards on 29 catches), but with the highest average (17.8 yards per catch) and the second-most touchdown grabs (six).
Whenever Livingstone and Manning shared the gridiron, a big play was waiting to happen. Though Livingstone took a detour, Manning holds no grudge against him. Manning admitted he called Livingstone shortly after the transfer, and they remain in good terms.
New weapons for Manning
In 2026, Manning’s receiving corps will look quite different. Two-thirds of his main receivers (DeAndre Moore Jr. and Parker Livingstone) have transferred out of Texas. However, the arrival of Auburn transfer Cam Coleman may make it all worth it.
Arch Manning at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Longhorns landed the No. 1 wideout in the transfer portal, and the junior wide receiver could be all Manning needs to take his game to new heights. With the 2027 NFL Draft looming on the horizon, the timing couldn’t be any better for Manning and Coleman to complement each other and skyrocket their stock.
First things first, though. Fans on the Forty Acres demand a championship, and this year may be the best chance Texas has at capturing its first national title since 2005. Arch Manning was less than two years old back then. Needless to say, it’s been a long time coming for the burnt orange.
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