Who is KJ Lacey? Texas Longhorns Backup QB Has Interesting Upside

The Texas Longhorns are struggling mightily on offense this season, and it's led to back-to-back unranked losses, the latest coming in Saturday's 27-24 finish to the Florida Gators.

As a result of these shortcomings, many Texas fans are wondering if the Longhorns would be better off benching Arch Manning in order to give more snaps to backup quarterback KJ Lacey moving moving forward.

But who is Lacey? He has yet to speak to the local media in Austin and remains somewhat of an unknown among Texas fans. Here's what we know about him and why he could be an interesting option if the Longhorns decide to give fewer snaps to Manning.

KJ Lacey Was a 4-Star Recruit in 2025 Class

Lacey was a four-star recruit in the 2025 class out of Saraland, AL. He won the "Mr. Football" award in the state of Alabama as a senior in 2024.

This came after he led Saraland to a 14-1 record and an Alabama 6A state runner-up finish the year prior in 2023. Lacey won a state title in 2022 as a sophomore, leading Saraland to a championship after finishing the season with 3,177 yards, 40 touchdowns and five interceptions.

He's played in some big moments at the high school level and proved he's a winner.

However, Lacey has had limited snaps during his time in Austin so far.

What Has KJ Lacey Done With Texas So Far?

Lacey played in just one game as a true freshman last season after serving as the third-string quarterback behind Manning and Matthew Caldwell. He completed his only pass attempt for seven yards in Texas' blowout win over Sam Houston.

Lacey then won the backup job this past offseason despite the arrival of five-star freshman Dia Bell and Coastal Carolina transfer MJ Morris.

He's appeared in two games so far this season, completing 7 of 8 passes for 63 yards, no touchdowns and no picks.

It didn't long for him to see his first snaps of the season in Texas' win over Texas State in the opener. He made a few impressive throws, which included a tough completion to Jermaine Bishop Jr. that he somehow got off despite being while rolling to his left.

Take a look:

He eventually helped lead a touchdown drive that Raleek Brown finished off with a run into the end zone.

In the fourth quarter of that game, Lacey then had a nice back-shoulder throw to Sterling Berkhalter.

What Has Steve Sarkisian Said About KJ Lacey?

Sarkisian has delivered ample praise for Lacey since his arrival last offseason.

He made it clear that he's particularly impressed with how Lacey takes his game up a notch when playing against the defense in live scrimmage settings.

"Every time we've been in scrimmage settings ... he really performs at a high level," Sarkisian said. "He's a gamer, he's got a natural feel for passing the ball, he's got a natural feel in the pocket. He uses his legs really well."

Sarkisian also credited Lacey for staying patient last season and redshirting despite being a star at the high school level a year prior.

"It's not easy to go from being a four year starter, state Player of the Year in Alabama, to coming and redshirting. And that's a hard concept for anybody, but a quarterback is really hard," Sarkisian said.

"I got a chance to watch him firsthand now over three weeks, his playmaking ability, his anticipation for throwing the ball, his accuracy, his ability to use his legs and his stature has changed, look at his body today as opposed to where his body was last spring when he arrived on campus, he's put in the work in the weight room."

It will be interesting to see if Lacey takes any practice reps with the first-team offense this week before Ole Miss comes to town.

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