Quinn Ewers appreciation post before what could be his final game at DKR

When asked about the potential of Quinn Ewers playing his final game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium this weekend, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian simply said…

[Join Inside Texas TODAY with code HOOKEM and get 50% off annual memberships!]

“I have no idea,” Sarkisian said Monday.

Multiple factors play into why Sarkisian wouldn’t want to answer this question directly. For starters, Ewers is just a junior, and no coach is going to write off their starting QB with so much time separating the present and the NFL Draft declaration deadline. Texas also could host a College Football Playoff game, the most likely scenario if the Longhorns finish the regular season 11-1 but lose the conference title game.

Entering the season, the script seemed clear. Ewers was top three in Heisman odds and a shoo-in to be a first-round pick. The only question for the Southlake Carroll product was, how high he could go? With Arch Manning patiently waiting his turn behind Ewers, there was little question about what would happen in Austin. Manning would start in 2025, and Ewers would have signed a multi-million dollar contract to play in the NFL by the time that first start took place.

But things haven’t gone as planned for Ewers. The most recent PFF Big Board has Ewers ranked as QB7 in the draft class, a fourth-round pick in their overall rankings. A lot has gone wrong for Ewers this season: he still hasn’t developed his deep ball, he’s had a tendency to run into sacks, and his nagging injury bug continues to hold him back from a full season playing at 90% or better.

But that’s not how Ewers should be remembered when he takes the final snap in this Kentucky game. Sure, DKR may end up being a host site for the playoff, but this will be the game that really hits home. Students that entered college with a 5-7 team will likely see their final regular season game at DKR with the Longhorns sitting at 10-1, and the man who has started in 64% of the games in Sarkisian’s four seasons at Texas could be, and probably will be, playing in his final game in the legendary stadium. 

Take off your Twitter hat for a second and just scan through these accolades:

5th all-time in passing yards (will likely reach the top-four after this game)

4th all-time in passing touchdowns

2nd all-time in completion percentage (min 200 attempts)

Led Texas to first Big 12 championship victory since 2009, breaking Sam Bradford’s Big 12 title game passing record to secure the Longhorn’s fourth Big 12 championship.

Secured the Longhorns first College Football Playoff appearance

23-7 (77%) overall record with Texas 

One road loss

2-1 record against Oklahoma 

Handed Nick Saban his final regular season loss while on the road in Tuscaloosa, joining Joe Burrow as the only two QBs to win there since 2016

These are achievements few other quarterbacks in the entire sport, let alone at Texas, have been able to accomplish, and Ewers still has up to seven more games left in a burnt orange uniform. Despite what many social media warriors say about the quarterback, warranted or not, it’s important to take a step back and just appreciate what Ewers has been for the Longhorns.

He walked into a disastrous program, one that had had one 10-win season in the 12 years before his arrival. In the next three years in the program, Ewers has given the Longhorns a chance to win national championships in both 2023 and 2024, with the potential to win two straight conference titles for the first time since 1996. 

No matter what happens on Saturday or in the last few games of the year, it’s hard to expect Ewers will return to Texas next year. Manning is ready to step up, and brings a playmaking style the rebuilding offense will likely need. Whether Ewers is able to garner enough hype to be drafted in the first two rounds, or he decides he wants to spend his last year of eligibility at another school, he does not deserve to have his legacy torn to shreds because he never became the Heisman quarterback many hoped he would.

He may not be the prophesied savior who was expected when the 1.000 recruit transferred from Ohio State, and he may not be good enough to win the national championship, but Ewers is already a top-five quarterback in Texas football history. 

[Subscribe to the Inside Texas YouTube channel!]

When you watch this game on Saturday, think back to what came before in the last decade-plus and offer some appreciation for his role in the Texas renaissance.