Hudson Card Taking Positive Steps As Longhorns QB1

Hudson Card might be the underdog, but he's not out of the race for QB1 at Texas yet

Author:
Cole Thompson
Apr 13, 2022 7:41 PM EDT

If anybody knows how a quarterback battle unfolds, it's Hudson Card. He's already been through the process at Texas before.

Card finds himself in the midst of another battle for the title of QB1 with the Longhorns. This time, instead of battling for reps with Casey Thompson, Card's competition features former Ohio State star Quinn Ewers and rising freshman Maalik Murphy.

The names change. The end goal doesn't. Perhaps a bit humbled for how 2021 unfolded, Card has the knowledge of what not to do when looking to become the first-team starter.

Maybe that's what will keep him in the driver's seat for a tad longer.

“(He’s) more of a leader,” senior receiver Jordan Whittington said of Card earlier this month. “I would say he made a big jump as far as leading the guys vocally. That’s one thing he didn’t do as much last year, but he’s really taken a grip of things and saying how he wants stuff done and meeting with us.

Card initially beat out Thompson in the eyes of Steve Sarkisian last fall. Starting the season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette, it was evident that he had the tools to be a capable option in the first year of a new era. Against the Ragin Cajuns, Card threw for 224 yards with two touchdowns in a 38-18 win.

The next start would be his last. Card never found his footing behind a makeshift offensive line against Arkansas, throwing for 61 yards and losing possession on a fumble. Sarkisian had seen enough and went to Thompson off the bench to close out the 40-21 loss.

Thompson was named the starter a week later. He would lead Texas to a strong start in games, followed by an implosion in the second half that eventually led to a 5-7 season.

Hudson Card

He now is at Nebraska and Texas is looking for its next hopeful passer. The battle now seems clear-cut between Card and Ewers.

Ewers, who prior to his reclassification was SI All-American's No. 2 quarterback prospect behind Clemson's Cade Klubnik, is still an unknown. Much is still to be revealed about his potential could be, seeing as C.J. Stroud commanded the offense and limited Ewers's play at Ohio State.

Everything Sarkisian has seen from Ewers is more based on projection rather than production. There's at least a track record of what Card can do against Big 12 defenses. Card also has been improving in camp with his decision-making and accuracy.

“(Ewers) and Hud both can throw the ball from just about every arm angle, they’re both very talented that way,” Sarkisian said of the QBs this past week. “Their feet don't have to be perfect to remain accurate.”

Betting against Card would seem foolish as of now. Coming out of Lake Travis in 2021, he was considered one of the top passers in the recruiting class thanks to his toolset.

Sarkisian considers Card's dual-threat upside as a strength of his game. That isn't enough to have him win the starting job this spring, but it will likely keep him in the conversation with Ewers, who many around the Forty Acres believe is already penciled in as the Week 1 starter against Louisiana-Monroe.

"The only way you get that is through repetition and taking those reps and doing it. It's been a point of emphasis for us with him,” Sarkisian said of Card’s improvement. “But what I don't want to take away from him is, he is a really good athlete and Hudson's legs are a weapon."

For now, both Card and Ewers are taking reps with the first-team offense. Both are projected to see the same amount of reps at the Orange-White game in two weeks and should be given time this summer to prove they have what it takes to kickstart the year off on the right note.

Quinn Ewers

There have been notable changes in Card's growth. At least Sarkisian and several other players can see it. In the end, it all comes down to consistency and efficiency.

That was Card's downfall as the Longhorns' starter in 2021. Will that be the case a year later?

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