Hudson Card opens up about challenges, injury in West Virginia game

For the second consecutive offseason, Texas Longhorns quarterback Hudson Card is in the middle of a quarterback competition. Last offseason, Card competed with Casey Thompson for the starting job. Card won the battle last offseason and started the first two games of the year before Thompson took control of the starting job. Now, Card is engaged in another battle for the starting job, this time with Ohio State transfer Quinn Ewers.

After losing the starting job to Thompson earlier in the year last season, Card got another opportunity in a late season matchup between Texas and West Virginia. In that game, Card played well and completed 10 of his 16 pass attempts for 123 yards and a touchdown, adding two rushes for 18 yards. But late in the game, he suffered a high ankle sprain, putting a frustrating end to his season.

“Yeah, going into the game when I got my opportunity and things started clicking a little bit, I kind of got into rhythm and it was good going,” Card said. “And then obviously that injury didn’t help. But it felt good just to be out there with the guys and just kind of get into rhythm and feel like myself.

“I had a high ankle sprain, so those don’t feel the best. Just try to toughen it out for the team.”

Card has embraced the competition with Ewers for the Texas quarterback job

Ewers comes to Texas as a highly touted prospect. The former 2022 recruit reclassified to the 2021 class, and became the top overall player and quarterback in the 2021 cycle as a five-star plus, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average.

Card knows that Ewers comes to Texas with a lot of high expectations. But when it comes to competing for the starting quarterback job, Card is just focused on doing what he can do to put the team in the best position to win. He is also valuing his experience he brings from his time already spent within the program.

“Honestly I try to focus on myself and I try not to listen to all the outside noise and the media and that sort of thing,” Card said. “Just really talk to the people closest to me in my circle and just do what’s best for me. Like I said, just trusting God and his faith and just showing me where he wants me to be and I felt like this is where he wants me to be at this time.”