Longhorns' Quinn Ewers, Jaylan Ford Reveal 'Chess Match' Battles in Practice

The back-and-forth battling at practice between the Texas Longhorns offense and defense is ultimately for the best, fitting right into the cliche of "iron sharpens iron."

AUSTIN, Texas -- For Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers, sophistication seems to be theme ahead of his second season in Austin.

From the haircut, to the diet restrictions and an overall more mature approach, Ewers is taking the necessary steps toward improvement, and looking at the game of football in a more sophisticated and mindful manner as a result.

When speaking to the media Thursday, Ewers compared his constant battles with the defense in practice to a game of chess, as the young signal-caller continues to refine his mental side of the game.

"I'm playing like a more violent, active chess," he said. "Trying to beat the defense with certain moves."

And after Ewers spoke just minutes before, Texas star linebacker Jaylan Ford used the same analogy when talking about going up the dynamic Longhorns offense in practice.

"I make jokes about (quarterback Maalik Murphy) and Quinn, because they're always trying to put me in a bind out there on the field," Ford said. "So it's kind of like what y’all were saying with Quinn, like a little checkmate."

The defensive success this season starts with Ford. As arguably the best linebacker in the conference, he's an elite challenge for Ewers and the offense during practices. But the soft-spoken quarterback is still trying to keep it fun despite the mind games.

"It's a chess match against the whole defense, whether it's a safety rolling down and I gotta check protection, or it's a linebacker ... you gotta make it fun," Ewers said. "It's a kid's game."

This back-and-forth battling between the two sides of the team is ultimately for the best, and fits right into that cliche of "iron sharpens iron." Both Ewers and Ford will be thankful for the offseason battles once the Longhorns travel to face Alabama in Week 2 and feel more prepared for the adversity as a result.

"They're always trying to move me around and stuff," Ford said of the quarterbacks. "So always picking their mind and seeing what they see out there, and it'll help me get better when we face opponents."

The Longhorns will get some quality reps on Saturday when the team holds its in-practice scrimmage.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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