Three questions for Texas quarterbacks ahead of preseason camp

Texas’ quarterback room is the envy of most, if not all, of the 132 other Football Bowl Subdivision programs. Even with the talent amassed in the room, including two players who were the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 1 quarterback in their respective classes, the signal-caller spot is not without its fair share of intrigue.

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Steve Sarkisian, who calls quarterback the most important position in sports and was an award-winning college QB himself, named Quinn Ewers the Texas starting quarterback at the conclusion of spring football. After an up-and-down redshirt freshman season at Texas that featured highs, lows, injuries, and otherwise, Ewers worked throughout the offseason to win a quarterback battle that many had him as the favorite to win. Even with the spot his, his 2022 campaign left room for a considerable amount of questions for the transfer ahead of his second season in burnt orange.

There’s more to AJ Milwee‘s position group than just what’s going on at the top. Maalik Murphy, a 6-foot-5, 235-pounder from the Los Angeles area, wowed fans and observers alike during Texas’ spring game. After an injury-filled two-plus years, a healthy Murphy showed off the arm that drew Sarkisian’s attention as soon as he took the UT job in Austin. The back-up quarterback role is his to take, and that’s a role that at Texas is an indicator of future playing time.

Of course, there’s Arch Manning. He’s a Manning, and so attention is sure to follow. The Horns won what’s considered one of the highest-profile recruitments in recent memory, where even the casual college football fan without a ton of interest in the minutiae of recruiting took notice of Manning’s decision after a 5-7 season. There’s opportunity for Manning, but there are some talented quarterbacks ahead of him at the current juncture who could limit the in-game chances for the On3 Industry Ranking’s top 2023 prospect.

Much of what happens in Texas’ 2023 campaign will depend upon the quarterback position. What questions do the Horns’ top three gunslingers need to address before toe meets leather in September?

Did Quinn Ewers do what he needed to do in the offseason?

Quinn Ewers’ first season on the Forty Acres looked like a typical first season on campus for a quarterback, especially one who had the preceding two years the once-mulleted quarterback had. After skipping his senior season with Southlake Carroll, seeing fourth-string (at best) opportunity at Ohio State, and returning to Texas, Ewers won the starting job over Hudson Card last preseason and began his UT career as the starter.

He had his ups, with a scintillating start versus Alabama offering visions of a lethal passing offense paired with a Bijan Robinson-led run game. That start was short-lived as a shoulder injury knocked him out of the game in the first quarter, and kept him out of the next three contests.

His return versus Oklahoma was part of the historic beatdown of the Sooners, but there was an element of fool’s gold to the performance. Ewers eventually admitted that game made him think he had things figured out. Over the next few weeks, accentuated by a 19-for-49, three-interception performance versus Oklahoma State and a contest versus Baylor where he created more points for the Bears (9) than for the Longhorns (6), it was clear Ewers didn’t have it figured out.

Things began to turn during the leadup to the Alamo Bowl, when Inside Texas shared that Ewers had made progress with fundamentals, leadership, and effort. He produced a 31-for-47, 369-yard performance versus the Huskies without the benefit of a solid running game. That night, though in a loss, springboarded Ewers into what’s been a positive offseason.

Ewers cut the mullet and cleaned up his look, which while superficial to an extent does give him a more bushiness-like look as he attempts to step into the leadership void left by the departures of Robinson and Roschon Johnson. All reports from the spring were that he had made progress in the areas he needed to make progress in, reports confirmed by Sarkisian bestowing the title of starting quarterback upon him over four months from kickoff.

It makes sense that Ewers struggled during his first year of extended playing time since the days he was facing UIL 6A competition in 2020. There’s something to be said for daily practice reps with a program like Ohio State, but the development of the defense he was facing was likely more important to the program than Ewers’ own leading the scout team. Plus, with a ranking like his, plus the hype that featured the word “generational” being used to describe him, those reasons don’t hold the same amount of weight as they would for a lesser prospect.

Ewers reportedly has made all the right moves and taken the right steps during his offseason, his second in Austin. When the pads come on for practice in August, and games begin in September, it’ll become clear if Ewers truly did everything necessary for what portends to be a year of massive importance for Texas football.

What does Maalik Murphy do with his opportunity?

The back-up quarterback is an important one within the Texas football program. Sure, the typical “you’re one play away” qualifier is true, but that play has happened often with the Longhorns in the past decade.

2013: David Ash and Case McCoy traded opportunities
2014: Tyrone Swoopes stepped in for Ash after his career-ending injury
2015: Swoopes and Jerrod Heard trade chances
2016: Shane Buechele takes over but Swoopes gets his chances in conventional snaps and 18-Wheeler packages
2017: Buechele and Sam Ehlinger trade games
2018: Ehlinger plays the overwhelming majority of games, but Texas needs Buechele to beat Baylor
2020: Casey Thompson steps in for Ehlinger in the Alamo Bowl
2021: Hudson Card surrenders the job to Thompson following the Arkansas game
2022: Card steps in for an injured Ewers.

Only one season — 2019 — didn’t feature the extended need for a backup quarterback. Considering Ewers has suffered injuries that cost him chunks of the season in the last two years he’s been a starting quarterback, Murphy has to be able to keep the offense going should anything happen to the Longhorns’ QB1.

Murphy, who had injury problems in his own right, looked phenomenal in the Orange-White Game. He was decisive, showed off a huge arm, and was robbed of a touchdown pass by a dropped ball from a receiver. However, he quickly made up for it one play later with his long bomb to Johntay Cook.

Aside from durability, Murphy needs to prove to Sarkisian and Milwee that if there is a need for him to enter the game, there won’t be a significant step-down in acumen at the quarterback position. Murphy remained at Texas even though starting opportunity elsewhere was a possibility for him. If he gets in the game at meaningful points in the 2023 season, he’ll need to prove he’s ready for the spotlight considering the wealth of talent in the room.

If that doesn’t take place, he’ll need to use his time running the offense Sunday through Friday as a way to keep him ahead of the pace of other quarterbacks both already on campus and set to join the room ahead of the first season in the SEC.

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What does Year 1 look like for Arch Manning?

No. 1 overall prospects typically don’t sit on the bench for very long. They may redshirt, as many of Sarkisian’s top quarterback prospects have during the course of his coaching career, but they still see their share of opportunity in the current era with the four-game limit. After that, they try their hand at taking over the position.

Manning possesses inarguable pedigree for quarterbacking considering who his grandfather and uncles are. Because of that, he’s been afforded the chance to learn how to play QB from some of the best to ever do it who just happen to be family members. His mechanics for a freshman are as polished as they come.

There’s still the question of how he adjusts to the Power 5 level of play. This isn’t to give merit to some of the ridiculous criticisms levied against him as a prospect following his commitment to Texas, but there’s something to be said — like there is for every single high school football player making the transition to college — about playing versus men instead of boys.

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The speed of the game at Texas, even on the practice field, will be much faster than it ever was on the gridirons of the LHSAA down in Da Boot. Manning was able to get some opportunity during spring but remained in the third-string role.

That most likely entails a redshirt for the young five-star, something all involved with his recruiting process knew was coming and likely was the best outcome for Manning. In that role, barring an unforeseen training camp surge, he’ll be leading the scout team on a regular basis, looking to light up the Longhorn defenses so other offenses aren’t able to do so.

What he does in that role (in addition to what Ewers does after the season) will have downstream effects on what he’s able to do in Year 2, as will Murphy. But in Year 1, there may not be a lot of on-field chances for Manning. Making the most of Year 1 off-the-field is of extreme importance.