Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns are going to face another pressure-packed season in 2026. This spring, however, they face a new challenge, as Manning is recovering from a minor foot surgery that kept him limited during the start of spring practice.
Despite the setback, one former Longhorns legend doesn’t believe the team will suffer. Instead, he sees this as an opportunity for young quarterbacks KJ Lacey and Dia Bell to step up.
Vince Young Views Arch Manning’s Injury as an Opportunity for Young Texas QB
Vince Young, who led Texas to the 2005 National Championship, calls this a golden opportunity for the Longhorns’ young quarterbacks. “For Lacey and Bell, I think it’s a great opportunity for them,” Young said. “Especially Lacey, I know he’s been back there hungry. I see it when I’m on the sideline. He’s looking at me, I’m looking at him, stay ready.”
With Arch Manning still recovering from offseason surgery, @VinceYoung10 sees this spring as a golden opportunity for KJ Lacey and Dia Bell to grow and develop. #hookem pic.twitter.com/GfwXUX2N2F
— THE STAMPEDE (@TheStampedeUT) March 18, 2026
Young is particularly excited about Lacey. “Now he’s got an opportunity and he’s been a great friend, he’s been a great teammate to Arch and the guys in the locker room,” Young explained. “He hasn’t been a distraction so to me he’s earned it. He’s deserving that we can see he can do.”
MORE: Jake Retzlaff Returns From Provo Expulsion to Throw for Chase Roberts at Pro Day
Lacey, a four-star recruit from Saraland High School in Alabama and member of the class of 2025, is a player Young is clearly very excited about. Lacey was highly regarded for his poise and accuracy as a prep quarterback.
Bell, widely considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the class of 2026, is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was ranked as the number one quarterback in Florida for his class. Bell chose to attend Texas over offers from other major programs, arriving in Austin with more national hype than Lacey.
Additionally, Bell is the son of Raja Bell, a former NBA player, adding further athletic lineage to his profile. Young doesn’t want Manning hurt but welcomes the chance for backups to gain experience in case anything happens this spring.
“We don’t want Arch to get hurt, we don’t want these type of things to happen, but it happens,” Young said. “On the Arch side of it, he can sit back and see things now. Sometimes he was moving so fast when he got in there, sometimes, you don’t need to step back and see.”
Given all these developments, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian doesn’t seem worried about Manning.
“I think he gained a lot of confidence in the second half of the season, and I think we learned about him, he learned his style of play, and he came back with a really good mindset,” Sarkisian said. “This is his team. … In the end, naturally, he wants to go win a championship. The rest of the things will fall into place, but that’s where his mindset is. He’s the ultimate team player, and it shows every day.”
MORE: CJ Carr Praises Jeremiyah Love and High Trust in Notre Dame RB
Manning completed 248-of-404 passes (61.4%) for 3,163 yards with 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing for another 399 yards and 10 touchdowns on 92 carries. He earned a PFSN CFB QB Impact score of 83.1, good for a B grade.
The Longhorns open the season hosting Texas State on September 5, then face Ohio State a week later in a rematch of last season’s 14-7 Buckeyes win.
