Steve Sarkisian most impressed by Quinn Ewers' leadership

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian says that the thing that has most impressed him about quarterback Quinn Ewers‘ growth during this offseason is his leadership.

This comes as Ewers is returning for his third season under Sarkisian in Austin. It’s a trait that the Longhorns are going to need to lean on as they move to the SEC and look to compete for a national championship in 2024.

“Without question, the area that stands out the most is his leadership,” Sarkisian said on Always College Football. “This is his team.”

Quinn Ewers came to Texas as a transfer from Ohio State ahead of the 2022 season. He quickly earned the starting job and by the end of his second season leading the offense, the Longhorns found themselves in the College Football Playoff.

“Year One, you’re coming in as a transfer and you’re just trying to figure it out. Year Two, I think he was really ready to step into the role, (then) he gets that injury against Houston and then he’s trying to work his way back,” Sarkisian said. “This offseason, this year, he is much more vocal, much more in command of what we’re doing, and has earned our trust, quite frankly, to get us in and out of some things. Just his command and his leadership with a lot of new receivers. You definitely see that.”

As is often the case for talented teams, Texas is dealing with plenty of turnover. That includes seven offensive players who were selected in the NFL Draft. Another nine offensive players transferred out of the program. That means Quinn Ewers is going to need to adjust to new players around him and provide stability.

“But I look back at his season last year, the guy really had one tough quarter and that was the first quarter of the Oklahoma game. Some could say it was a blown coverage but the corner intercepts it. Then, he gets the pick on the tipped ball going in there in the red area, but people forget in that game he only threw six incompletions,” Sarkisian said. “So, he really played efficient football for us last year. I thought he played great down the stretch. The [Texas Tech] game, the Oklahoma State game, and I thought he played really well against Washington. Just a couple unfortunate plays but he gave us a chance there at the end of the game to go win it.”

Quinn Ewers finished 2023 with a 69 percent completion percentage for 3,479 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also ran for five touchdowns. Still, that improved leadership is going to be vital for Texas in 2024.

“So, I think he’s poised for a great season but the biggest thing we see is the leadership for sure,” Sarkisian said.