What Was Steve Sarkisian's Main Offseason Focus For Quinn Ewers?

Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian joined The Herd with Colin Cowherd to discuss this week's upcoming matchup with Michigan.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) walks off the feild after an interception during the game against Colorado State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Entering the 2024 offseason, Texas Longhorns football head coach Steve Sarkisian had one message for his junior quarterback Quinn Ewers.

"This is your team, go lead them," Sarkisian said during an interview with The Herd with Colin Cowherd.

Ewers is beginning his third season as the starter for the Longhorns and his growth has shown each year. In his first year, Texas was 5-7, second year, 8-4, and third year 12-2. Despite leading Texas to its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, he wasn't the most vocal leader on the Team.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) and offensive lineman Hayden Conner (76) celebrate a touchdown by running back Quintrevion Wisner (26) against Colorado State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Texas has several new faces on the team and lost known vocal leaders in wide receiver Jordan Whittington and linebacker Jaylon Ford to the 2024 NFL Draft, forcing Ewers to step up.

"Really, (the offseason) was about leadership," Sarkisian said. "We knew we were going to have to replace all those pieces, we knew we were gonna have to bring in some transfers, we knew we were gonna have to rely on some young players on the perimeter. ... It was gonna take Quinn stepping up into that leadership role where Jordan Whittington, Jaylon Ford and those guys had moved on from. That was our focus and he's done a tremendous job of that."

Ewers' work with his new teammates in the offseason paid off, as he started the season without missing a beat. In the season opener against Colorado State, he threw for 260 yards and had three touchdowns.

He seamlessly meshed with his receivers, new and returning, and cruised to an easy win despite throwing an early interception.

Now, Sarkisian, Ewers and the rest of the Texas Longhorns will travel to Ann Arbor for Texas and Michigan's first-ever regular season matchup with a chance to snap the Wolverines' 16-game winning streak.

Cowherd said that he believes this Texas team is a national championship-caliber team and the Longhorns will have a chance to prove it against the defending national champions on Saturday.