'That's Our Guy': Quinn Ewers Ends QB Debate In Longhorns Spring Game
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian might have been open to the idea of a quarterback competition entering spring camp. He since has cooled on the idea of anyone other than Quinn Ewers being his guy for the upcoming year.
"I thought Quinn was really efficient today," Sarkisian said after Saturday's game. "I think it's pretty clear to say that Quinn's our starting quarterback and we feel very good about that."
Ewers showed poise in the pocket and flashed his arm strength Saturday during the Orange-White game, completing 16-of-23 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown. While it's a glorified scrimmage rather than a full-on game, Ewers was asked to stretch the field — and competition — between him and the rest of the crew.
Hype comes and goes in an instant. Last season, Ewers was the talk of Austin. He was viewed as a second coming of Vince Young and the "savior" of the Forty Acres.
The same notions surrounding Ewers last season now fall in the lap of Arch Manning, the current Longhorns' savior of tomorrow. Even with a respectable performance in the Alamo Bowl loss to the No. 12 Washington, half the fan base that bleeds burnt orange and white were ready to pull the plug on Ewers.
The offseason was a learning point for Ewers. After an end-of-the-year meeting with Sarkisian, Ewers took time to self-reflect. He knew he needed to change his diet and make personal changes to his game if he wanted to keep the starting job.
"Obviously, something had to change if I wanted to end up where I want to be in the future," Ewers said. "I'm starting right here. I'm eating a lot better. I'm doing all the small things a lot harder, and I'm excited."
Sarkisian said earlier this spring there was a newfound feel surrounding Ewers. He cut his trademark mullet and trimmed his beard for a more clean-cut, respected look. Ewers said that while he looked better, he also felt it.
Perhaps fans caught a glimpse of that "better feel" in the first quarter on a 46-yard pass to Xavier Worthy. If not there, they certainly saw it on a 13-yard one-handed touchdown grab by Georgia transfer AD Mitchell in the closing minutes of the first half.
“I think we really took time and worked on the deep balls and got the timing down, the depth, the angles of all the routes,” Ewers said. “I’m really excited about where we’re at.”
In general, the quarterback positioning seems solidified entering the summer. Redshirt freshman Maalik Murphy will likely serve as Ewers' backup after going 9-of-13 passing for 165 yards, including a 79-yard touchdown pass to freshman receiver Johntay Cook. Manning, who finished 5-of-13 for 30 yards, could potentially take a redshirt year to save a season of eligibility before the Longhorns head to the SEC next fall.
“I thought what I saw from Maalik was when he really started to settle in, he has a natural ability to pass the football,” Sarkisian said. “He’s got great vision. When he pushes the ball down the field, it’s natural. It’s not like he has to force it. He’s got a quick delivery and a quick release.”
Nothing is promised under Sarkisian. It's earned. This time last year, fans projected that Ewers would be the face of Texas football for years to come even without throwing a pass on campus.
On Saturday, he earned the right to make that notion a reality.
“He really devoted himself to the weight room,” Sarkisian said. “His diet, nutrition, his overall understanding the offense. I think it shows. He looked very comfortable today. That's not having a real game plan going into the game. You’re just running plays in a spring game. I think he’ll be even more dialed in when we have an actual game plan and what we're trying to attack to get after people.
"I think he’ll be a more confident player, one who will instill belief in his teammates, his coaches, and our entire organization that, 'Hey, ‘That’s our guy.’"
The Longhorns return to DRK for a Week 1 matchup against Rice on Sept. 2.
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