Arch Manning transfer rumors: LSU, Ole Miss, Oregon among top options if Texas QB leaves in 2027

What was supposed to be Arch Manning's dream season at Texas has gone poorly. The Longhorns didn't even make it to the end of October before getting two losses, and Manning has not played well.

Even Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said after Texas' loss to Florida that he was going to give an uptick to Manning's backup, KJ Lacey. Although a benching of Manning appears unlikely, it is not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

Thanks to how poorly his season has gone, there is speculation that he may forgo the 2027 NFL Draft and choose to stay in college for another season. While the expectation is that he will remain at Texas if he does stay, let's take a look at some of the best landing spots for Manning if he does decide to enter the transfer portal.

Arch Manning top transfer portal destinations

Manning played high school football for four seasons in Louisiana, playing out of Isidore Newman in New Orleans. His high school sits just 82 miles southeast of Baton Rouge, and Manning was born and grew up in Louisiana.

If Manning wants to hone in on his development as a quarterback, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin has an impressive track record in doing so. He made Jaxson Dart into a first-round NFL Draft pick, and helped discover Trinidad Chambliss from DII Ferris State, who is expected to be a top signal-caller picked for 2027.

Sam Leavitt hasn't played great so far this season, and although Kiffin won't admit it, he was the coach's fourth transfer choice behind Trinidad Chambliss, Brandon Sorsby and Washington's Demond Williams.

What better way to start fresh for Manning than to return to his roots and play under an offensive mind like Kiffin?

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has historically stuck with quarterbacks he has recruited out of high school and developed in Athens. Speaking of, Smart and the Bulldogs were one of three finalists for Manning coming out of high school.

But Smart has also landed some transfer portal quarterbacks as backups to Gunner Stockton, including Oregon transfer Bryson Beaver this year, and adding Jaden Rashada in 2024.

Stockton is a fifth-year senior this season, and his backup, Ryan Puglisi has completed 36 passes for 413 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions his last two seasons. Getting a quarterback with real game experience like Manning might not be a bad idea for Smart, even if that's non-traditional for him.

If Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding wants another way to beat Kiffin aside from his team's 32-24 victory earlier this season, look no further. Golding already successfully prevented Chambliss from leaving Ole Miss and joining Kiffin at LSU. How about doing it a second time in a row by getting Manning to come to Oxford?

Chambliss is going to the NFL after this season. It would also be incredibly cool to see Manning go where his grandfather, Archie, and uncle Eli played. That's not a bad recruiting pitch if you're Golding, either. In Oxford, Manning might have to compete for the starting job with current backup Deuce Knight, who transferred in from Auburn this offseason. But his game experience might give him an edge.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has had an unexpectedly down year at quarterback this season. Starter Dante Moore is expected to miss a second consecutive game as he left the game against UCLA on Oct. 10 with a concussion.

In his absence, he's shuffled between Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas, although neither of them have played all too great. Lanning has yet to name a starter between the two ahead of Oregon's game against Illinois this week, although Raiola appears to have an edge .

Moore is expected to go to the NFL in 2027, and Raiola is a junior this season. The quarterback room is pretty wide open behind Raiola for next season. Although Oregon might be far from home for Manning, Lanning has a solid track record at transfer portal quarterbacks as Moore came in from UCLA, and Dillon Gabriel transferred in from Oklahoma in 2024.

Indiana and Miami might make sense if Manning improves

At this point, I think Indiana and Miami only really make sense for Manning on paper. While both teams have cashed in on landing some big-time transfer portal quarterbacks, such as Cam Ward and Carson Beck at Miami and Fernando Mendoza and Josh Hoover at Indiana.

But I think for both schools to be interested in Manning, he will have to play a lot better than he has been. Beck and Hoover both had multiple seasons with over 3,000 yards passing, and had consistent success as a starter across multiple seasons. Mendoza had thrown for 4,712 with 30 touchdowns over two years with Cal.

While Manning's stats are slightly similar, I don't think he's put enough good games on tape to where he'd be an attractive option for either school. Across his two seasons, he has 20 turnovers, and has not played well in his five losses to Ohio State, Florida and Georgia last season and vs. Oklahoma and Florida so far this year. Indiana and Miami will be likely to pursue a quarterback that's played much more consistent. But if Manning has a strong back half of the season, both schools could absolutely be in play.