The No. 19 Texas Longhorns are expected to give KJ Lacey Jr. an uptick in first-team quarterback reps in practice this week, a sign that the staff is testing a different path even as Arch Manning still projects as the starter. The move comes as Texas prepares for a showdown with No. 7 Ole Miss in Austin.
The timing matters because Texas has spent five straight weeks trying to stop the slide from Manning, and the losses have piled up fast. The Longhorns have dropped back-to-back games to unranked teams, and Manning has had two game-deciding turnovers, leaving the offense open to scrutiny at the one spot that matters most.
That is why Lacey’s rise in practice is being watched so closely. Pete Thamel reported that Texas is expected to give the redshirt freshman more first-team reps this week, while Manning still projects to start. In other words, Texas is not ready to make the switch yet, but it is acting like a team that wants an option ready if the struggles continue.
Lacey could offer what Texas has been missing: quicker decision-making, arm talent and accuracy. Those traits do not guarantee a change against Ole Miss, but they do explain why the reps are shifting now. A quarterback battle is usually decided by practice before it is decided on game day, and this week’s work will tell Texas whether it is preparing a backup plan or something more permanent.
For now, the starter remains Manning. The real question is whether the first-team snaps for Lacey are only an evaluation step or the start of a move Texas is trying not to announce too early.
