Texas Quarterback Battle Heating Up Ahead of Orange and White Game

Hudson Card and Quinn Ewers have a chance to further QB1 campaign at the annual Orange & White Spring Game

Though it’s only spring, the quarterback competition in Austin has been summertime hot for the Texas Longhorns.

Redshirt sophomore Hudson Card is once again battling for the QB1 title. This time, it’s against Ohio State transfer, Quinn Ewers.

No stranger to a quarterback competition, Card faced the same situation last spring as he battled, and eventually prevailed, over Casey Thompson for the starting job. Having been with Texas for three years now, Card clearly has the advantage when it comes to the Texas playbook and Steve Sarkisian’s scheme.

However, this year, he’s up against a player who was ranked as the number one recruit in not just one, but two, recruiting classes. Ewers is the highest-rated quarterback to hit the Forty Acres since Vince Young.

Throughout spring ball, both quarterbacks have gotten reps with the first team. During their first scrimmage this spring, Coach Sarkisian said he was “very pleased” with the performances of both players.

Sark, quarterback whisper that he is, has emphasized completion percentage and turnovers this spring. 

“I think both of those guys have natural ability to throw the ball," Sarkisian said. "They've got a good feel for coverages and kind of trajectory on balls and where to throw them. I always tell them one play doesn't define your practice. One throw is not going to define who the starter is. We're a work in progress, but they're doing some nice things."

Their biggest test on both comes on April 23 at the annual Orange & White Game.

When it comes to Card improving as a passer this season, he’s been working on “being more comfortable in the pocket, knowing when to leave, when to stay… and being able to connect more on the deep balls”.

As for Ewers, he’s only been in Austin for a matter of months. While he has a generational arm, he also has an entire playbook to learn.

With the two going head to head in the Spring Game, it provides a platform for both to try to get the edge. 

Card gets the chance to show substantial growth after another year in the system. 

Ewers, the chance to prove why so many programs wanted him, and why the potential QB1 is “right where he’s meant to be”. 

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