The Texas Longhorns could be facing uncertainty at the quarterback position, both in the present and moving forward. Arch Manning has yet to meet expectations during the 2025 season, raising questions about his ability to carry the program as envisioned. His struggles have cast doubt on the stability of the Longhorns’ offense and created concern about their immediate future.
Adding to the unease, prized quarterback recruit Dia Bell has been ruled out for the rest of his senior year due to injury. Ranked No. 4 overall in the ESPN 300 for the class of 2026, Bell was expected to be a cornerstone of Texas’ long-term plans. With his health now in question, the Longhorns may be forced to reassess their quarterback outlook and consider alternative options to secure stability for the future.
Texas Longhorns May Have to Consider Transfer Portal For the 2026 Season After Dia Bell Injury
With the Longhorns facing questions about the quarterback position for the remainder of this season and potentially next year as well, Texas may have to go a route it doesn’t want to. Andrew Ivins of cbssports.com broke down what could potentially happen with this football program next year at the quarterback position. He said, “If Arch Manning continues to underperform and Dia Bell’s health lingers into his college career, the Longhorns will almost certainly need to explore the transfer portal. The staff can’t afford to gamble on uncertainty at the most important position on the field.”
Ivins emphasized that the Longhorns’ roster construction and national title aspirations leave them little margin for error. Texas has built one of the strongest recruiting classes in the nation, but without stability at quarterback, their ceiling could be capped. The portal has proven to be a quick fix for elite programs in similar situations, and Texas may have to follow that path if Manning fails to develop and Bell’s recovery timeline remains unclear. While the Longhorns prefer to build from within, the transfer market could end up being their best insurance policy heading into 2026.
“If Arch Manning really is the biggest bust of all time, as some on social media would love to tell you, then Texas fans better start working on their wish list of transfer portal arms because incoming five-star quarterback recruit Dia Bell’s development has taken a major hit.
Bell announced earlier this week he is shutting things down for the rest of his senior season in order to get a minor procedure. Injuries happen, but Bell also missed the tail end of his junior year with a lower-leg extremity. That means the MVP of this summer’s Elite 11 Finals will head to Austin with just 25 varsity starts under his belt and that’s not an ideal number.
There is no magic formula when it comes to predicting a quarterback’s success, but live game reps are hard to replace. Just look at Quinn Ewers, who started only 25 games in high school after electing to reclassify and forgo his senior season. Ewers spent his first year at Ohio State running the scout team before eventually transferring to Texas where he brought Texas to consecutive College Football Playoff semifinals but never personally matched his lofty No. 1 overall ranking.
The Talent Tracker isn’t ready to proclaim that Bell is the latest quasi-reclassification cautionary tale, but it would be a bit silly to think that Bell is going to factor into the Longhorns’ quarterback plans next year — 2026 — if Manning really can’t turn things around and that’s because Bell’s growth as a player is being stalled at a key moment.”
There’s a strong possibility that Texas will need to redshirt Dia Bell in 2026, given the limited varsity experience he accumulated in high school due to injury. The staff may prefer to give him a year to develop physically and mentally before thrusting him into a starting role.
That puts even more pressure on Arch Manning. If he fails to rebound from his struggles in the 2025 season, the Longhorns could be left with a difficult decision. Whether Manning departs for the NFL Draft or enters the transfer portal, Texas may be forced to seek an experienced quarterback to bridge the gap until Bell is fully ready to take over.
Texas may be forced to dip into the transfer portal after the 2025 season, whether it’s their preferred route or not. Behind Arch Manning, the quarterback room lacks proven experience, with senior Matthew Caldwell serving as the current backup and younger options like redshirt freshman Trey Owens and freshman Karle Lacey Jr. still developing.
Manning’s struggles this year don’t put his starting job in jeopardy, barring an injury, but the Longhorns face a delicate situation. Losing him for any reason would leave the offense in a difficult spot, and with Dia Bell sidelined for his senior year of high school, Texas has to seriously evaluate contingency plans. Even if Manning improves, the program may need to pursue a transfer quarterback to secure stability moving into 2026.
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