Many expected a quarterback competition between Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning as the Texas Longhorns made their way toward the 2023 season, but head coach Steve Sarkisian appears to have a decision.
While speaking with the media after Saturday’s spring game, Sarkisian voiced his support for Ewers while pointing out the strides the quarterback has made this offseason.
“Sometimes, we can really rush judgment on where guys are at, but I think it’s fair to say Quinn’s our starting quarterback, and we feel really good about that,” Sarkisian said.
“I think he really devoted himself to the weight room, his diet, his nutrition, and his overall understanding of the offense, and I think it shows,” Sarkisian continued during the press conference. “He looked really comfortable today.
“The fact that I think he’s going to be even more dialed in when we actually gameplan what we’re trying to attack and get after people, I think he’s going to be a more confident player and one that I think is going to instill belief in his teammates and coaches and our entire organization that he’s our guy and he’s going to make the plays when his number is called.”
On Saturday, Ewers finished 16-for-23 for 195 yards and one touchdown while leading Team White to a 21-10 win over Team Orange.
Ewers threw for 2,177 yards, 15 touchdowns, and six interceptions last season but committed a few crucial mistakes.
“I wasn’t what I wanted to be last year,” Ewers said Saturday. “I feel like I let most of the fans down, and I don’t want to be in that same situation this year.”
That awareness has led him to adjust his preparation and improve as a player this offseason.
“I didn’t like where I was at,” Ewers said. “Obviously, something needed to change if I wanted to end up where I want to be in the future. … I’m eating a lot better, I’m doing the small things a lot harder, and I’m excited.”
“I’m going into summer workouts with the best mindset I’ve had going into any offseason,” he added. “I’m not really looking too far forward now because there’s no need to. We’re going to have a great summer; all of us are fully bought in on what we need to accomplish this year.”
The Longhorns return to practice after Memorial Day and begin the season against Rice on September 2.
