Longhorns Country

Quinn Ewers Ready For Redemption Following Spring Game

Quinn Ewers looked the part of QB1 after an impressive showing in the Orange-White game.

Cole Thompson

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Quinn Ewers wears his emotions on his sleeve. He isn't afraid to let his guard down when asked about his trials at Texas. 

Ewers, the primary starter for the Longhorns in 2022, didn't play coy when addressing his struggles from a season ago. And in a sense, one could argue that the mishaps occurred more so at inconvenient times. Outside of a woeful three-interception performance against Oklahoma State, Ewers looked the part of a first-year starter. 

Then again, this is Texas, a program that consistently finds itself in the top five of recruiting and the top five of mediocre seasons. So when the Horns failed to make it to the Big 12 title game for a rematch against TCU, Ewers put part of the blame on himself. 

“I wasn’t where I wanted to be last year," Ewers. "I feel like I let most of the fans down, and I don’t want to be in that same situation this year.”

If the Longhorns want to make it back to Arlington before they depart for the SEC, Ewers is the key. Arch Manning and freshman Maalik Murphy are more than capable options should Ewers go down with another injury, but Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is putting all his eggs in the redshirt sophomore's basket. 

And well he should. After a heartfelt end-of-the-year conversation with Sarkisian, Ewers said he took time away to self-reflect. A former No. 1 recruit in the country, he realized his habits weren't meeting tiptop expectations. 

In the offseason, Ewers changed his appearance, snipping off his iconic mullet and trimming his beard for a more clean-cut look. That wasn't the only cleansing for Ewers as he trimmed down on the snacks and shaped up in the film room. 

"Obviously, something had to change if I wanted to end up where I want to be in the future," he 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."

Fans will point to Murphy's heroics in the annual Orange-White game, but Ewers was the headliner. After showing flashes of what the offense could look like under his direction, Ewers displayed accuracy, timing and patience facing off against the projected first-team defense. 

During the first quarter, he connected with Xavier Worthy downfield for a gain of 46. Ewers found tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders twice for first downs and linked up with Jordan Whittington three times before finding Georgia transfer AD Mitchell for a 13-yard TD just before halftime. 

"I thought Quinn was really efficient today," Sarkisian said of Ewers' performance. "I think it's pretty clear to say that Quinn's our starting quarterback and we feel very good about that."

Multiple players said Ewers was more laid back and timid a season ago. Not this go-around. Whittington said postgame that Ewers has been more vocal in practice while also taking control of the play-calling in the huddle. 

Sarkisian noted that Ewers took a head-on approach to bettering himself, paying attention to his workout habits and nutritional goals. A spring game won't determine what a 13-game season could look like, but the third-year coach says it's a step toward more substantial results. 

"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," said Sarkisian. "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." 

Ewers has locked up the title of QB1 entering the summer, but now he'll need to carry into the second stage of the offseason before Week 1's showdown against Rice. 

Mentally, Ewers feels ready to bring Texas back to prominence. Physically, he looks prepared, too. 

“I’m going into summer workouts with the best mindset I’ve ever had going into any offseason,” Ewers said. “I'm not looking too far forward 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.”

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Cole Thompson
COLE THOMPSON

Cole Thompson is a sports writer and columnist covering the NFL and college sports for SI's Fan Nation. A 2016 graduate from The University of Alabama, follow him on Twitter @MrColeThompson

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