Joel Klatt: Steve Sarkisian's public support of Quinn Ewers feels over the top

If you didn’t know, Quinn Ewers is still Texas’ QB1. That’s a point that the Longhorns have had to make for some time now, especially over the last month and a half, and one that Joel Klatt now thinks is being overblown in Austin.

While assessing their win this past weekend during his show on Monday, Klatt noted what he sees as exaggerated approval for Ewers from Steve Sarkisian. That comes a week after their quarterback conversation began again with his insertion of Arch Manning.

“It seems to me that Coach Sark is really pressing and forcing, publicly, his support of Quinn Ewers,” said Klatt. “It feels over the top. I think it feels over the top because, underlying, you know how quick the trigger might be. We’ve already seen it.”

“He said, ‘If he plays like that for the rest of the year, we’re going to be okay. We’re going to be just fine,'” Klatt read. “He constantly has to talk about it, constantly has to talk about it.”

In a 27-24 victory at Vanderbilt on Saturday, Ewers was 27-37 (73%) for 288 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Of his six appearances this season, it’s the fifth time that he’s had an interception with this being his first outing with multiple picks.

That reason is why Klatt thinks Sarkisian is consistently and constantly justifying Ewers. While we all know he’s a high-quality player, there are still moments where he may struggle and, naturally as such, lead to the reaction and re-asking regarding Manning as the team’s backup and future starter.

“He’s effusive of his praise publicly of Quinn Ewers – and, you know what, rightly so. I like Quinn, I think he’s a really good football player – I really do. But there are times when he can just lose it for a moment and not see it,” said Klatt. “That happened against Georgia. I think it happened early against Oklahoma. There were times even in last year’s Red River game. There were times against Washington last year. It’s just like they’ll have a series or two where you’re just kind of like, man, what’s going on?”

“I think Sark knows that, which is why, publicly, he’s so effusive in his praise but we’ve seen now how quickly he’ll go to Arch.”

Again, Ewers will continue to be Texas’ quarterback as is often emphasized. Still, the insistence on that point is one that Klatt noticed.

“Just something to take in your back pocket,” Klatt closed.