Texas loses backup quarterback Trey Owens to the portal after he slid to fourth on the depth chart, but Arch Manning, KJ Lacey and Dia Bell keep the future bright.
The inevitable finally hit Texas' quarterback room.
The Longhorns were always going to take some transfer-portal losses this offseason, and on Monday morning, one of the most predictable moves became official.
Former Cy-Fair (Cypress, TX) standout quarterback Trey Owens has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, per reports, looking for a clearer path to playing time in 2026 and beyond.
For Texas, it's a hit to depth and arm talent, but not exactly a shock.
Owens arrived in Austin in the 2024 class, hoping to carve out a role in a loaded room and maybe wait out his turn behind Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning. Instead, the depth chart only got more crowded.
After opening as the No. 3 quarterback in 2024 behind Ewers and Manning, he slid to fourth in 2025 with Manning entrenched as the starter and both Matthew Caldwell and KJ Lacey jumping him.
That kind of logjam is brutal for a guy who was used to being "the man."
Owens didn't come to Texas lacking credentials. At Cy-Fair, he put together a stellar junior season, throwing for 2,057 yards and 34 touchdowns against just six interceptions while completing 66 percent of his passes and earning Texas District 17-6A Offensive MVP honors.
As a senior, he leveled up again, completing 222 of 313 attempts for 3,303 yards, 43 touchdowns, and only five picks while leading his team to an 11-2 record.
His decision to commit to Texas always made sense.
"I felt like it gave me the best opportunity to go on to the next level," Owens said back in March. He also raved about the stage at Texas, playing Alabama, Texas A&M and Oklahoma yearly is a recruiting pitch few can match.
But on the field in Austin, opportunities never materialized.
In two seasons, Owens appeared in just two games. He went 2-of-4 passing for 19 yards against UTSA in 2024 and logged a brief, stat-less cameo versus ULM. That's the entirety of his Texas resume.
So what does Texas actually lose? A big, talented arm with plus production in high school and zero real game tape in burnt orange.
From a roster-construction standpoint, it's a clean break on both sides ... Owens gets a chance to reset his career, and Texas continues to lean into its blue-chip core.
Because for all the portal attrition, Steve Sarkisian and quarterbacks coach A.J. Milwee still have one of the most stacked QB rooms in the country.
Arch Manning is expected back for at least one more season in 2026, Lacey has been progressing nicely, and the Longhorns are adding one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 cycle in five-star Dia Bell.
Losing Owens stings from a depth and development standpoint, but it doesn’t change the reality at the 40 Acres ... the future of the Texas quarterback position is still built around five-star firepower.