The Texas Longhorns made a notable addition to their quarterback room out of the transfer portal, likely securing Arch Manning's backup for next season.
know that Arch Manning will once again be their starting quarterback for next season after a strong end to the 2025 campaign. However, following the win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl, questions lingered about who would be his backup for the 2026 season with Matthew Caldwell out of eligibility.
It took a bit, but the Longhorns finally addressed this potential hole by adding a veteran passer out of the transfer portal inCoastal Carolina Chanticleers quarterback MJ Morris throws the ball against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first quarter at Scott Stadium. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images Though KJ Lacey was the third-string quarterback behind Caldwell this past season, Morris' experience at the position likely slots him in as the backup to Manning for 2026. The Longhorns are also welcoming Dia Bell to campus this spring. He projects as the future starter for the program and could take a redshirt year in order to preserve eligibility. Barring an impressive offseason that could see Lacey overtaking Morris as the backup, here is what the Texas quarterback depth chart will look like next season.The backup quarterback spot has been particularly notable for Texas over the past few years. Quinn Ewers missed multiple games due to injury during his career while Manning nearly missed action this past season. Manning suffered a concussion in the overtime win against Mississippi State, which put his availability in doubt against Vanderbilt. He ended up being cleared in time but the stage was potentially set for Caldwell to start for Texas. As for Bell, he has already made it clear that he's open to sitting back and learning everything first before being thrust into any kind of notable role. During an interview with thethis past summer, Bell admitted that Manning staying for another year instead of heading to the NFL wasn't going to impact his plans with Texas. “If he does decide to stay the second year, I will have no problem learning,” Bell said of Manning. “That just gives me more time to learn everything and make sure that when it becomes my time, I’m as prepared as possible. I have no problem sitting behind him at all because that means there’s another person I can pick their brain and learn how they go about learning the offense or studying for the next week.” The Texas quarterback room will draw some notable attention this offseason, as fans will look to see what Morris has to offer along with monitoring the growth of Bell and Lacey.Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7
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