Nation's Best? ESPN Lauds Texas QB Room
Before Texas fans were spoiled enough to be arguing over which former five-star quarterback was better between Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, they had a dark period.
The program that produced Vince Young and Colt McCoy went on about a decade-long drought of elite quarterback play. Whether it was recruiting flops, potential not being reached, or skill sets being misused, there was a major problem in Austin at the most important position. Now, heading into the 2024 season coming off of a Big 12 title and College Football Playoff, Texas is viewed as having one of the best quarterback rooms in all of college football according to ESPN.
Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning
USA Today Sports
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg recently ranked college football's best quarterback situations through the 2026 season and had the Longhorns as the No. 2 team only behind Ohio State.
Rittenberg raved about Steve Sarkisian's ability to attract talent, while also getting the most out of them like he did Ewers this past season. On top of landing the former perfectly rated recruit, Texas has a five-star in Manning ready and waiting, a highly-touted four-star in Trey Owens joining the fold, and is also expected to bring in KJ Lacey, who is one of the top signal callers in the 2025 class.
"Sarkisian has long been viewed as an elite quarterback coach, but his ability to affect the position as a head coach had been somewhat in doubt until last season," wrote Rittenberg. "Ewers, a former ESPN No. 2 overall recruit, blossomed under Sarkisian in 2023. He had 3,479 passing yards with 22 touchdowns and 6 interceptions while completing 69% of his passes and eclipsing 300 yards against Alabama, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State (Big 12 championship game) and Washington (College Football Playoff semifinal)."
"Ewers, who entered college by reclassifying for the 2021 season so he could attend Ohio State, has played two seasons in Austin and bypassed the NFL for one more with the Longhorns. He will enter the fall as a bona fide Heisman Trophy candidate and a contender to be the top quarterback for the 2025 draft."
Sarkisian is no stranger to talented quarterback rooms as he was a part of USC's staff that produced Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, and Mark Sanchez while also developing Washington's Jake Locker, and getting a big year out of Mac Jones at Alabama. If he can get high-caliber quarterback play out of Ewers, Manning, and whoever is next, this program could emerge as one of the dominant forces in the sport like it once was.
In 2024, Ewers has a chance to become the first Texas quarterback to be a Heisman finalist since Colt McCoy, and can also be the first quarterback taken in the first round since 2006 when Young was. His development has come a long way from a young gunslinger who had less-than-stellar footwork and an uncontrollable cannon for an arm. His success can set the tone for the program at the position for years to come.
