Quinn Ewers is on track to reclaim his position as the starting quarterback for No. 1 Texas in their upcoming matchup against rival No. 18 Oklahoma, as confirmed by Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian on Monday. Sarkisian noted that Ewers’ recovery from an abdominal injury will be closely monitored throughout the week.
“If we had to play today, sure,” Sarkisian stated, referring to Ewers’ readiness as the starter. He highlighted that Ewers had participated in practice last week and again on Monday morning.
“I thought he looked good,” Sarkisian remarked. “I feel good about him going Saturday, but that remains to be seen.”
Texas did not play last week, which Sarkisian believes has benefited Ewers’ recovery. “If anybody benefited from the time off, it was probably him,” he added.
Ewers had previously missed two games after sustaining a strained abdomen in the first half of Texas’ victory over UTSA. In his absence, Arch Manning took over as the starter and helped lead Texas (5-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) to victories over Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State.
This week, Texas has regained its No. 1 ranking after briefly falling to No. 2 following the win against Mississippi State.
So far this season, Ewers has passed for 691 yards and eight touchdowns, gaining recognition as a Heisman Trophy contender after guiding Texas to a convincing win against Michigan in the second game of the season. Meanwhile, Manning has thrown for 901 yards and nine touchdowns.
Ewers’ anticipated return against Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1) echoes a similar scenario from 2022 when he missed three games due to a clavicle injury but returned to lead Texas to a 49-0 victory over the Sooners.
“I have no hesitation of Arch going into the game” if needed, Sarkisian affirmed.
