Who is KJ Lacey? Meet Texas Longhorns QB2 – USFTB

With 6:03 left in the third quarter of the Texas football team’s season opener this year, Arch Manning called it a day.

Manning had already thrown for 305 yards and four touchdowns in what would eventually become a 59-7 win over Texas State. So the senior quarterback was allowed to clock out early.

With Manning enjoying the sidelines, Texas turned to sophomore KJ Lacey. Lacey had already been listed as QB2 on the Texas depth chart, but his second-half appearance against the Bobcats confirmed that he had beaten out freshman Dia Bell and Coastal Carolina transfer MJ Morris for the job. 

As UT put the finishing touches on its 52-point victory, Lacey went 6-for-7 for 55 yards against Texas State. Lacey also rushed twice for three yards and led the Longhorns on three scoring drives.

“He definitely has play-making ability,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said afterwards. “It was a little hard because of the score. I was trying to get him some throws and not just hand the ball off, but also be respectful of (Texas State). But I think we saw enough.”

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Here’s what to know about Texas’ No. 2 quarterback:

Karle “KJ” Lacey Jr. is a sophomore quarterback for the Texas Longhorns. 

Originally from Saraland, Ala., Lacey was a four-star recruit and was named the No. 19 quarterback recruit in the class of 2025, according to his bio. Lacey was recruited as a pocket passer and was named “Mr. Football” in Alabama his senior year. As a starter, he finished his high school career with a 39-3 record. 

The 6-foot right-hander has played in three games as a Longhorn. He completed a 7-yard pass against Sam Houston his freshman year in 2025. This season, he appeared in two games and threw for 55 yards in the season opener in Texas State and had one 8-yard completion against UTSA. 

Lacey switched his jersey number this season from No. 8 back to the No. 9 he wore at Alabama’s Saraland High School. Last season, former Texas receiver Parker Livingstone said of the 6-foot, 188-pound Lacey: “he can extend the plays very well. He’s fast. I see him as a Bryce Young-kind of guy.” 

Is the QB2 job actually that important? Texas fans should probably knock on wood, but history suggests that it is.

In nine of the last 10 seasons at Texas, the Longhorns’ backup quarterback has been needed. Tyrone Swoopes had a package of plays designed specifically for him in 2016, and Casey Thompson was promoted from his backup role after two games in 2021. The Longhorns’ also had their starting quarterback miss games because of injuries during the 2017, 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons.

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Texas had the same quarterback start every game during its 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2025 campaigns. But even during three of those seasons, UT had to press its backup quarterback into action. 

The Longhorns wouldn’t have made it to the Sugar Bowl during the 2018 season had Shane Buechele not come off the bench to close out wins against Baylor and Iowa State. Casey Thompson lit up Colorado in the 2020 Alamo Bowl after replacing an injured Sam Ehlinger. Last season, Matthew Caldwell threw a game-winning touchdown pass at Mississippi State immediately after Manning suffered a head injury.

“I’ve experienced it when a guy loses a job (and) he checks out. It says the world of his professionalism,” former UT coach Tom Herman in 2018 after Buechele went 10-for-10 off the bench in a 24-10 win over Iowa State. “He’s the definition of a great teammate and prepares every day. Everybody’s extremely confident in how well he prepares.”