After spending the week in concussion protocol, Texas quarterback Arch Manning was nowhere to be found on the Southeastern Conference’s availability report on Friday, paving the way for him to play against Vanderbilt in a matchup of ranked teams on Saturday.
Manning sustained the injury on the first play of overtime in last Saturday’s 45-38 win over Mississippi State. He returned to practice Wednesday but as of Thursday, his status was in the air with coaches waiting on word from team doctors.
“I don’t have anything beyond for Arch just because we have to follow the protocol of the days and the reps, but he’s making good progress,” coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday.
The 20th-ranked Longhorns (6-2, 3-1 SEC), who began the season ranked No. 1 in the nation but fell out of the rankings altogether earlier in October, are trying to keep their slim College Football Playoff hopes alive. The Commodores (7-1, 3-1) enter the game ranked ninth — the program’s first top-10 ranking since 1947.
After entering the season as the odds-on Heisman Trophy favorite and with many believing he would be the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Manning has had an up-and-down season.
The redshirt sophomore has completed 60.9% of his passes this season for 1,795 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. He threw an interception in each of the Longhorns’ first three games. He was on his way to his best game against the Bulldogs, completing 29 of 46 passes for 346 yards, three touchdowns and an interception before the injury. He also ran for a touchdown, his sixth rushing score of the season.
Senior Matthew Caldwell, a transfer most recently of Troy, replaced Manning and completed his only pass attempt, the 10-yard, game-winning score.
