Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns may have just found their insurance for quarterback Arch Manning from a very unlikely place
The transfer portal era in college football has proven to be a volatile landscape that has completely altered the ideologies around roster building, at least in some ways. The structure is typically centered around players transferring up, filling major needs for bigger programs, and giving smaller school players a bigger platform and opportunity. We also […]
The transfer portal era in college football has proven to be a volatile landscape that has completely altered the ideologies around roster building, at least in some ways. The structure is typically centered around players transferring up, filling major needs for bigger programs, and giving smaller school players a bigger platform and opportunity. We also have seen, however, the monetary value of being a smaller part of the machine also drive decisions.
For yet another example of the latter, former Troy starting quarterback Matthew Caldwell has decided to transfer to the University of Texas. As a part of the Longhorn program, Caldwell is not being brought in to challenge redshirt sophomore Arch Manning for the starting quarterback role. Caldwell’s presence is more about stabilizing the room with someone with in-game experience.
By the end of the 2024 season, Caldwell had cemented himself as the starting quarterback for Troy. In 10 games played, the 6-4, 203-pound passer threw for 1,608 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing over 63 percent of his passes. Caldwell also added another five rushing touchdowns on the ground as a runner.
On the Troy side, they just lost their starting signal caller to a better payday to serve as a backup in 2025. Manning has only thrown 95 passes in his entire Texas career, and there is even less experience behind him. Between Trey Owens, KJ Lacey, and Joe Tatum, that trio has thrown a grand total of four passes in their college careers.
Caldwell obviously helps to upgrade the room in terms of experience, and should make the Longhorn feel a little bit better about what is behind Manning. Even if Caldwell never plays much for Texas, the room is a ton better by combining his experience with the raw talent in the group. It’s the ideal complement, and insurance.
The Longhorns are setting up for what they believe could be a championship season in 2025. In the end, this program is going to go as far as the right arm and legs of Manning will take them. Having a veteran like Caldwell in the room should only help Manning to reach his potential, along with the superb playcalling of head coach Steve Sarkisian.
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Let’s see how this works out.
