Texas has named Quinn Ewers as its starting quarterback ahead of the 2022 season, an announcement many have considered a foregone conclusion since his transfer from Ohio State.
But the way in which Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian made the announcement — if you could even attribute it to him — has left many questioning the team’s quarterback situation heading into the season.
Here’s a breakdown of how the news broke, via Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman:
How this came down today was odd. Texas brought three players to interviews. Then, just out of the blue, Texas SID John Bianco said he had a message from Sark. Quinn Ewers is the starter. You could’ve hear a pin drop. Wow.
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) August 19, 2022
So, to recap: Sarkisian did not issue a statement, instead deferring to the school’s sports information director to drop the news. He also didn’t comment on what Ewers had done to secure the starting spot, nor did he discuss Ewers’ primary competition for the role, redshirt sophomore Hudson Card.
MORE: With Arch Manning headed to Texas, what does that mean for Quinn Ewers?
Texas’ announcement also came after reports indicated that Sarkisian would make the decision following practice on Saturday. Sarkisian told reporters Thursday that he had “a pretty good idea” who his starter would be but wasn’t ready to commit yet.
“I want to give these guys an opportunity to compete,” Sarkisian said (via Sports Illustrated), “so that’s what we’ll do.”
He also claimed on Monday that the battle between Ewers and Card was closer than many may have expected.
“It’s tight,” Sarkisian said. “Both guys are working very hard. They’ve both got great attitudes.”
MORE: Who is Quinn Ewers? Five-star QB could change NIL, Ohio State and more with decision
Ewers, out of Southlake, Texas, initially spurned the hometown Longhorns to commit to Ohio State; he was the No. 1 overall player in the 2021 class after leaving school early to play for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes. But the freshman couldn’t break through in Columbus, falling behind eventual Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud on the depth chart.
Ewers transferred to Texas in January after seeing limited action for Ohio State. Per his player bio, he was credited with two plays — both handoffs — in the Buckeyes’ 56-7 win over Michigan State on Nov. 20.
Card, meanwhile, is coming off a season in which he played eight games — starting two — and completed 51 of 83 passes (61.4 percent) for 590 yards and five touchdowns to one interception. He split time with Casey Thompson as the Longhorns finished seventh in the Big 12 standings with a 5-7 record (3-6 in conference play).
Now, Sarkisian has committed to Ewers ahead of the 2022 season. The quarterback will get his first collegiate start against Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 3 before top-ranked Alabama travels to Austin on Sept. 10.
Hits: 0
