Steve Sarkisian raves over Quinn Ewers' progression: 'You can feel this is his team'

The Texas Longhorns are busy celebrating their entrance into the SEC on Sunday, throwing a parade in Austin with music and other festivities. And Longhorns head football coach Steve Sarkisian was in attendance to celebrate the occasion. He took a few minutes on the SEC Network to chat with the broadcast crew about his star quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Sarkisian discussed the progression of his career over the past few years.

“I was just talking about that to somebody the other day. When he first got here, really that was his true freshman year. Remember, he graduated high school a year early. So, then he gets here and it’s like getting used to being a college quarterback. And then coming out of year 1,” Sarkisian explained.

“What is the discipline that’s needed to be a quarterback? Change in his diet. Cutting his hair. What is that? And now, going into Year 3 with us, the biggest thing I see out of Quinn now more than ever, is the leadership. It’s been this process. Learning a system. What it’s like to be in college. And then, okay, growing up in Year 2. And now Year 3, you can feel this is his team,” Sarkisian finished.

Ewers posted impressive numbers last year, completing 69% of his passes for 3,479 yards, while tossing in 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. He figures to be one of the nation’s top contenders for the Heisman Trophy this season, especially considering how stacked the Texas roster is coming into 2024. The Longhorns made it all the way to the College Football Playoff last year, before falling to Washington. They figure to be among the favorites to bring home the 2025 National Championship.

Ewers was one of the most celebrated quarterbacks in the country coming out of high school. He was ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Before joining Texas, Ewers enrolled at Ohio State, but lasted just a semester there. He then decided to jump in the transfer portal and join the Longhorns in Texas.

Texas has one of the most loaded quarterback rooms in America in 2024, with Ewers as the starter and Arch Manning as the backup. Manning was impressive this spring and will certainly be the most heavily discussed second string quarterback in America. As a freshman in 2023, he appeared in two games. Coming out of high school, much like Ewers, Manning was one of the most celebrated quarterback prospects in the country. He was rated as the No. 1 overall prospect in America in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.