Arch Manning got off on the wrong foot during his debut as Texas Longhorns‘ starting quarterback. Following the rough outing against the Ohio State Buckeyes, head coach Steve Sarkisian voiced an honest comment on how the depth chart looks heading to week 2 of college football’s 2025 season.
Manning, Sarkisian, and the Longhorns fell to the Buckeyes, once again. However, their latest stumble to Ohio State didn’t end their hopes, as it only kickstarted their 2025 NCAA campaign. Now, the Horns must turn the tide.
With the matchup against the San Jose State Spartans approaching, Coach Sark dropped a bold message on how the QB situation looks in The Forty Acres. There is uncertainty on who sits behind Manning in the depth chart, so Sarkisian didn’t mince words to address that topic.
“Yeah, that’s a really fluid situation,” Sarkisian said about the backup to Manning, per On3. “It’s kind of similar to in years past in that from week to week we give those guys an opportunity to compete and evaluate to keep their competitive juices flowing.“
Who would’ve filled in for Arch in Columbus?
Despite his evident struggles during the week 1 showdown with the Buckeyes, Manning’s spot under center was never in doubt. No matter how uncomfortable he looked against Matt Patricia’s defense, Sarkisian’s faith in his QB1 never wavered. Still, if something had happened to Arch, there was an experienced option on the sideline ready to replace him.
“In last week’s game, it would have been Matt Caldwell (as) the first guy that would have went into the game if something had occurred there with Arch,” Sarkisian commented. “We’ll evaluate it here towards the end of this week, then make a decision. It’s more of a weekly basis.”
Caldwell is new on campus, but has experience in college football. The Troy transfer arrived at The Forty Acres after spending his junior-year with the school in the state of Alabama. Last season, Caldwell threw for 1,608 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions in 10 games.
Needed that
While no program in college football ever wants to start off the season with a loss, Sarkisian is looking at the silver lining. Now, the Longhorns already have a true test of their potential in their backs. While most teams square-off with inferior opposition, Texas took on a litmus test on the road.
“I think it’s really helpful,” Sarkisian concluded. “The challenging environment, one, for our team in particular, which wasn’t returning a lot of experienced payers on the offensive side of the ball. I thought we had to grow up quickly in game.”
SURVEY How confident are you that Manning can turn the tide after his rough start?
How confident are you that Manning can turn the tide after his rough start?
already voted 3 fans
Losing hurts, but it also leaves lessons—and that might be best in the long run. Needless to say, Manning and Texas expect the 2025 NCAA season to be a long one, extending all the way to January 19.