Texas Shakes College Football: Transfer QB Sunday’s Blockbuster Commitment Ignites Longhorns’ Championship Hopes

Isn’t it something how life at Texas can spin faster than a quarterback’s spiral? Just as Coach Steve Sarkisian juggles headlines beyond the gridiron, the Longhorns quietly bolstered their quarterback room this week. You might wonder—does Matthew Caldwell’s transfer from Troy add just depth, or could it be the wildcard weapon nobody saw coming? While Arch Manning’s spotlight looms large for 2025, Caldwell’s journey through four programs and a strong finish last season suggests Steve Sarkisian’s got himself a seasoned safety net. After all, when your starting QB family includes the Mannings, patience is a virtue… but a reliable backup might be priceless. Intrigued? Dive in and see what this reshuffle might mean for Texas’s quest to stake a serious claim on the national title. LEARN MORE.

The Texas Longhorns reportedly landed additional quarterback depth on Sunday.

After making the College Football Playoff behind Quinn Ewers, Steve Sarkisian will hand the offense to Arch Manning in 2025. That’s assuming a new commit doesn’t compete for reps this summer.

According to On3’s Pete Nakos, Matthew Caldwell will transfer from Troy to Texas.

The Longhorns mark Caldwell’s fourth different collegiate program. He began his career at Jacksonville State before spending two seasons in a limited role at Gardner-Webb.

Caldwell received his most playing time when he won Troy’s starting job during the 2024 season. The 6-foot-4 junior amassed 1,608 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions for the 4-8 Trojans.

Following a 1-7 start, Caldwell helped Troy close the campaign on a high note. He posted nine passing touchdowns and four rushing scores over the final four games.

That finish earned Caldwell attention from more prominent programs. Auburn emerged as a speculative candidate to land the local quarterback, but he’ll instead join a Texas team seeking a national championship run in 2025.

One can assume Caldwell won’t fight Manning for the starting role. The former five-star recruit patiently waited his turn for two seasons before Ewers went to the NFL, where he’ll play for the Miami Dolphins after sliding to the seventh round.

Manning proved worthy of the role when accounting for 10 touchdowns in three games replacing an injured Ewers last year. The nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning averaged 10.4 yards per pass attempt as a sophomore.

However, Caldwell would give Sarkisian a more experienced contingency plan under center.

Caldwell will compete for the backup role alongside redshirt freshman Trey Owens, a four-star recruit who completed two passes in a 56-7 rout over UTSA last September. Texas also landed four-star prospect KJ Lacey in the 2025 recruiting class, 

Related: Steve Sarkisian Makes Opinion Of Arch Manning Extremely Clear