The Texas Longhorns’ triumphant 27-17 Black Friday victory over archrival Texas A&M may have secured a spot in the SEC Championship conversation, but behind the scenes, head coach Steve Sarkisian dropped a bombshell that has the Forty Acres reeling: the permanent dismissal of star wide receiver De’Anthony “Trey” Moore III, effective immediately. Sources close to the program confirm the move, which Sarkisian described as “the hardest but necessary call I’ve made here,” came at the direct urging of emotional leader Arch Manning, who warned of an impending “collapse from within” if the disruptive influence wasn’t excised. The decision, rooted in months of locker room toxicity, has stunned the Texas community, with fans and analysts alike grappling over the loss of a blue-chip talent amid the program’s playoff push.
Moore, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound sophomore phenom from Houston’s North Shore High School, exploded onto the scene in 2025 with 68 receptions for 1,048 yards and 12 touchdowns — numbers that earned him Biletnikoff Award finalist honors and positioned him as Manning’s go-to target in Sarkisian’s high-octane spread offense. Recruited as the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle, Moore’s highlight-reel one-handers and deep-ball magnetism made him indispensable, or so it seemed. But internal sources paint a darker portrait: whispers of cliques, leaked practice film to rivals, and inflammatory social media sideswipes that pitted upperclassmen against freshmen, turning the Longhorns’ vaunted unity into a “ticking time bomb.”
The breaking point unfolded on November 28, mere hours after a grueling film session dissecting the Aggies’ defensive schemes. Manning, the redshirt freshman gunslinger who’s completed 68% of his passes for 3,212 yards, 28 TDs, and just six picks while leading Texas to an 11-1 mark, stormed into Sarkisian’s office unannounced. “Arch laid it all out — the divisions, the sabotage, how it was eroding trust before the A&M game,” one staffer recounted. “He said, ‘Coach, if Trey stays, we’re done. The team’s fracturing, and I can’t lead like this.’” Manning, grandson of Archie and nephew to Peyton and Eli, has emerged as the program’s moral compass, his poise under pressure (including a 248-yard, two-TD masterpiece against A&M) masking the toll of internal strife.
Sarkisian, in Year 4 of a program-reviving tenure that boasts a 45-20 record and back-to-back CFP semifinals, didn’t hesitate. “This isn’t about talent; it’s about team,” he told the squad in a closed-door meeting Sunday, his voice steady but eyes steely. “Trey’s gifts are undeniable, but chaos has no place here. This is the last time he wears burnt orange — for good.” The coach’s edict, backed by athletic director Chris Del Conte, triggers Moore’s immediate departure from all team activities, with no appeal process under Texas’ NIL-fueled conduct clause. Moore, reachable via his representatives, issued a terse X statement: “Hurt by the decision, but respect Coach S’s call. Blessed for the opportunity. Hook ’Em.”
The fallout has been seismic. Moore’s absence leaves a void in the receiver corps — his 17.3 yards per catch paced the SEC — forcing backups like freshman phenom Isaiah Bond and transfers like Adonai Mitchell to step up for the December 7 SEC title tilt against Georgia. Portal speculation swirls, with Ole Miss and USC already rumored to have reached out, but Sarkisian doubled down: “We’re built on culture, not clicks. Arch spoke truth, and we acted.” The move echoes past Longhorns purges, like the 2023 benching of running back CJ Baxter amid off-field issues, but this one’s personal — Manning’s intervention underscores the QB’s growing sway, with whispers of a Heisman push now intertwined with leadership lore.
Leave a Reply