REPORT: Texas Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers Expected to Start vs. Oklahoma

According to reports, the Texas Longhorns are expected to get back starting QB Quinn Ewers for the Red River Rivalry.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) looks for an open receiver during the game against UTSA at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

AUSTIN - The Texas Longhorns appear to be getting healthy at just the right time.

According to reports from Chip Brown of Horns247, junior quarterback Quinn Ewers is on track to return to the starting lineup vs. the Oklahoma Sooners for the Red River Rivalry on October 12.

The report comes shortly after Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian noted that Ewers, who had missed the last two and a half games due to an abdominal strain that he suffered in the team's 56-7 Week 3 win over UTSA in Austin, had been making 'steady progress' in his recovery.

"He's just rehabbing as he has been. I think he's been making steady progress one day to the next, which is a good sign," Sarkisian said. "We haven't had any setbacks. It's been steady progress. I think he's getting stronger and more comfortable and more confident, and so we'll just kind of stay the course with that."

Before his injury, Ewers was seen as the Heisman Trophy front runner, completing 73 percent of his passes for 691 yards and eight touchdowns with just two picks, with a QBR of 86.7. In fact, even after missing the last two weeks, Ewers still sits with the eighth-best odds to win the Award at +2500, with plenty of seasons to go.

In relief of Ewers, redshirt Freshman Arch Manning entered the starting role and performed extremely well, completing 70.5 percent of his passes for 900 yards and nine touchdowns, with two interceptions, and a QBR of 85.8.

That said, there is no question that the Longhorns will be thrilled to have their leader back under center for what will be a difficult slate of SEC football.

"We need Quinn back because he's our quarterback, and he's our leader," Sarkisian said Saturday. "I think that that impacts the entire team's belief. But what I think we learned, and what Arch kind of earned here over the last two and a half games, is this team can count on him too... When we get Quinn back, we're all going to be excited about that."

Over the next four games, following their bye week, the Horns will face off with the No. No. 19 Oklahoma Sooners in Dallas on October 12, followed by a matchup vs. No. 5 Georgia on October 19, and a trip to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt for their first SEC road test. After that, home matchups vs. Florida and Kentucky, and road tests vs. Arkansas and Texas A&M still remain as well.

And fortunately for the Horns, it appears that the battled-tested Ewers will be ready to go for that stretch.