Brian Kelly says Texas must tailor its offense to Arch Manning

Kelly's view: fit the offense to Manning

Former LSU coach Brian Kelly said Texas' offensive troubles should not be placed solely on quarterback Arch Manning, pointing instead to head coach Steve Sarkisian's play-calling and the need to shape the system around the quarterback. In a SiriusXM College Sports Radio discussion with Danny Kanell, Kelly said, “I think it's on the play caller,” then argued Texas should meet Manning where he is and emphasize accuracy and a more effective running game. The remark was an assessment of the offense, not an announcement about a personnel decision. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Kelly also said he did not expect Texas to bench Manning absent a complete collapse. His prescription was for the coaches and quarterback to identify what Manning can execute consistently. Kelly, who was fired by LSU in 2025, is working as a college-football analyst and joined SiriusXM's college coverage this season; Kanell is a regular co-host on the channel. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

A two-game slide sharpened the scrutiny

Texas entered the debate after consecutive 27-24 defeats to Oklahoma on Oct. 10 and Florida on Oct. 17. In the Florida game, Manning completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown, and Texas' official recap says the quarterback lost a fumble on the Longhorns' final possession. Texas had a 17-3 lead in the first half, but managed only 99 rushing yards and 13 first downs as Florida rallied. ^{[4] [5]}

The Associated Press reported that Sarkisian reaffirmed Manning as the starter on Oct. 19, while acknowledging he needed to play better. Texas had fallen from No. 1 to No. 19 after the two losses and stood 4-2 overall, 1-2 in the SEC. Lacey, a sophomore backup with limited game experience, had taken first-team practice snaps, but Sarkisian said that work would continue without changing Manning's status. Texas' next game was scheduled for Oct. 24 against No. 7 Ole Miss, with more than half the regular season still to play. ^{[5] [6]}

Meyer made a different argument

Urban Meyer, the former Ohio State, Florida and Utah head coach and a FOX Sports analyst, separately questioned Manning's trajectory during an OutKick interview published Oct. 21. Meyer praised Manning's late drives in Texas' September win over Ohio State, but said the quarterback had since regressed and urged Sarkisian to give Lacey more first-team practice reps. Unlike Kelly, Meyer explicitly raised the possibility of a quarterback change. The two coaches were commenting separately on the same Texas problem; the available reports do not describe a joint discussion or a direct response between them. ^{[7] [8]}