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The Texas Longhorns’ roster once resembled a fragile house of cards, crumbling at the first sign of a significant injury.
In my first year on the beat, David Ash was recovering from a brain injury while Tyrone Swoopes struggled during the spring game. His performance was so dismal that the staff even considered moving Swoopes to tight end. Although Ash recovered enough to start the season opener, a second brain injury ended his college career and any hope for that season’s success.
Every year, it seemed Jordan Whittington’s injuries would spell doom for the Longhorn offense. Troy Omeire, once heralded as a future college star by the previous staff, suffered a knee injury before the 2020 season, and the offense never recovered. In Steve Sarkisian’s first season as head coach, quarterback Casey Thompson sustained a significant thumb injury on his throwing hand, never reaching full capacity. Yet, Sarkisian felt compelled to keep Thompson in the game, fearing that removing him from the lineup would make matters worse.
This past week, Texas running back CJ Baxter sustained a knee injury in practice, sidelining him for the upcoming season. In the past, an injury to the starting running back would have Texas fans lowering their expectations to an Alamo Bowl appearance, if not the Texas Bowl. However, Sarkisian has built depth in that position, allowing the Longhorns to adopt a “next man up” mentality. Additionally, Sarkisian has a quarterback capable of lifting the entire team.
In Quinn Ewers, you trust.
“Knock on wood, I hate to say this, but that's not going to be our only injury this fall,” Sarkisian admitted. “It's football, and everybody goes through it. Unfortunately, we had to go through it early on in training camp with a good player. Other teams will face it at different times throughout the year. That’s why we continue to develop our players. They must understand that it might not be about what's happening right now in their development phase, but at some point, their number will be called. Will they be ready to seize that opportunity?
“But at the end of the day, our leadership is our leadership, and that can't waver. Whether it's Quinn, Kelvin [Banks], or Jake [Majors] on offense. Those guys, or Gunnar [Helm], Barryn Sorrell, Anthony Hill, Michael Taaffe, or Jahdae Barron on the defensive side. We've got great leadership on our team, and I'm not asking more of them from a leadership standpoint. I'm asking them to be who they are, and who they are is good enough.”
Why am I not worried about the running back situation?
Because of Tashard Choice.
Honestly, I had concerns after Stan Drayton left the Longhorns to become the head coach at Temple. Drayton, though not seen as a top-tier recruiter, was an elite position coach. While I knew Choice had proven himself elsewhere, I needed to see him succeed at Texas before fully endorsing him.
Choice has exceeded every expectation.
We’ve seen Choice's impact on Bijan Robinson, but more importantly, he’s developed his backups into key contributors. Choice molded Roschon Johnson into an NFL Draft pick. Jonathon Brooks, who started last season behind Baxter, emerged as arguably the best running back in the country before his season-ending injury.
Even Keilan Robinson was drafted earlier this year.
“Coach Choice does a great job in his room. They're one heartbeat in that room. It's not individuals, it's one unit. There's a standard he sets, and we set, for how our running backs play in our offense and on our team. Going into year four, the running back is integral to what we do, embodying the heartbeat of our team, our running style, and our versatility. We ask a lot from our runners, and they are all very hungry. They work hard, get a lot of reps in practice, and when their number is called in-game, they generally excel.
“From our first year, whenever Jonathon Brooks entered a game, it was like, ‘Man, he's scoring another long touchdown.’ Look at last year—when Jaydon Blue got in the game, like against BYU, he snapped off long runs. It's a hungry room. Coach Choice motivates them well but also holds them accountable to the standard we expect.”
The other reason Longhorn fans should remain confident after Baxter’s injury?
Ewers.
Sarkisian has groomed another quarterback with Heisman Trophy potential. Ewers, now in his third season, gives Texas an edge in every game this year, except possibly against Georgia. Even then, Ewers vs. Carson Beck could be a coin flip.
The talent is undeniable.
When I asked Sarkisian about Ewers’ biggest area of growth, he emphasized leadership.
“His leadership, for sure,” Sarkisian said. “This team looks to him, and as he goes, so goes the team. That responsibility requires consistency—even on days when he’s not at his best, or when he’s fatigued, he must still drive the offense’s temperature. That’s a new challenge for him. There isn’t a J-Whitt, a JT Sanders, or a Bijan or Roschon from two years ago to be the catalysts. Now, that’s him, and he’s embraced that responsibility.
“But it’s still a challenge. We’ve pushed him out of his comfort zone, and he’s been willing to step into that new space, and it’s showing. But, like anything, there are moments where we have to remind him, ‘This is the time.’ That’s been the biggest difference.”
Longhorn offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Kyle Flood echoed those sentiments before training camp.
“Quinn has always been a talented passer since he arrived. That was never in question,” Flood said. “But a quarterback’s maturity, growth, and interaction with the other players on offense allow him to elevate the entire group. It’s been phenomenal to watch his progress from year one to year two.
“You guys haven’t seen it as much as I have in the offseason, but I think you’ll see it this fall. He’s really taken his leadership to another level this year. Quinn brings a calmness to the field that’s excellent for the players around him. His ability to connect with those players one-on-one has been crucial, especially with a new group of receivers.”
Some Longhorn fans have been waiting for Ewers to emerge as a vocal leader, like Tim Tebow, Baker Mayfield (without the obnoxiousness), or even Sam Ehlinger. Ewers has been more vocal this offseason, but he’s not going to scream at a receiver on the sidelines for running the wrong route.
In reality, Ewers’ quiet demeanor is a strength.
“Even in a game, when you see Quinn show those rare moments of emotion after a great throw, it’s almost shocking because, even when the bad moments happen, he stays calm and collected,” Sarkisian said at SEC Media Days.
This is why Texas tight end Gunnar Helm praised Ewers for his leadership.
“It’s night and day since he got here,” Helm said. “Every year, he’s made strides. He’s built strong connections with everyone on the team. I feel like anyone could go to Quinn with any problem, and he’d do his best to solve it.”
The Longhorns faced a challenge this past week that, in previous years, might have derailed their season.
But the house of cards has been replaced by a rock-solid foundation.
Sarkisian and Choice deserve credit for recruiting and developing talent.
And Ewers deserves credit for emerging as the leader this team needs.
In Quinn Ewers, you trust.
Funniest Things You Will See This Week
Cats are pure evil
I felt his pain
I still do not know what to say (adult humor/NFSW)
When keeping it real goes wrong (bad language alert)
This is darn near close to the Spirit Airlines experience (bad language alert)
Sports On A Dime
1. Texas running back Jaydon Blue on why teammates view him as a leader: “Two years ago, I was behind two guys that are in the NFL now, and even last year, I was behind a group of guys that led that room and taught me the way it goes. Just learning from those guys, just sit back. Me taking on that role, it brings in a lot of confidence to those young guys in the room.”
2. Blue on the biggest lesson he learned from former Texas running back Bijan Robinson: “The thing he told me was to always stay patient and let the game come to me. It's kind of big for me because I was highly ranked coming out of high school. Him telling me that taught me how to stay patient, just work, and wait on my turn.”
3. Texas senior linebacker David Gbenda on Anthony Hill’s growth: “The growth has been coming along swimmingly. He's a fast learner, he picks up things very well, and he knows ball. His football IQ is up there. With me, basically, whenever I watch film, or just little nuggets I pick up, I try to just give it to the younger guys. Whether it be just a different formation, what Coach Sark is trying to do here, or in this defense what's the weakness or what I've learned throughout my mistakes. Just to give it to them to make their process come along easier. Like these little things here with alignments. Little stuff like that so it can make the development process 10 times easier for him.”
4. Longhorn Edge Barryn Sorrell on his team’s hunger entering this season: “It's a day-to-day thing. I mean, you don't just wake up one day and say you're hungry. You’ve got to prove it every single day. I mean, there's only one team out of the whole country that is going to be able to stand up on that stage at the end of the year. And it takes every day to find things to get better. Being attentive in meetings and being attentive in practice. Just using those things to fuel that hunger so that you can be a national champion at the end of the year.”
5. Sorrell on Alfred Collins’ biggest area of growth: “Just being consistent. Just building that consistency. Obviously, he's a very good player, and he's been flashing throughout his last years. But obviously he wants to be that down-in and down-out guy that could just be consistent and be a consistent playmaker. I think he's going to be able to do that this season.”
6. Longhorn tight end Gunnar Helm on why the team views Jaydon Blue as a leader: “He's played a lot of football to be honest with you. Don't let the minimum snap count in games last year fool you, especially at the beginning of the year. He's been stepping up in practice, and every time he touches the ball, you feel like something special is going to happen.”
7. Helm on the development of freshman tight end Jordan Washington: “He's coming along every day. He's going to be, like I said in the spring, he's going to be a beast one day. I think that if he just stays on the track that he's on, gets his steps down, continues to fine-tune his routes, he's going to be a force.”
8. Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian on Scottie Hazelton working with the nicklebacks in practice: “It was helpful for us that way. Obviously, with Blake Gideon working with the safeties and Terry working with the corners, and Scottie now with them passing that rule where everybody can coach, it was just a really easy transition for us to a guy with his experience to coach that one position. We had an analyst last year work with a fair amount in Henry Fernandez. Having Scottie now with his expertise and experience is a huge advantage for us.”
9. Sarkisian’s response when asked if he would play multiple punt returners because of the depth at that position: “I want to put the best guy that gives us a chance. I was talking to somebody about this today. When we were kids, and I remember playing Little League Baseball, you had to play three innings to get one at bat. Here, the best guys are going to play that gives us the best chance to win. I don't get a bonus for everybody being happy. You earn your opportunities to play. We’ll give them plenty of opportunities to earn that. I'm hopeful that we can play a bunch of guys that they just make it so hard on us that we have to play a bunch of guys. I hope that we've got multiple punt returners that we feel really good.”
10. Sarkisian on the versatility of his tight ends: “I would probably say Amari and Juan are probably more of the JT mold. What we asked JT to do was not what we asked Gunnar to do. But I do think a couple of guys are [getting better]. I think Jordan Washington and Spencer Shannon are both that more big, physical tight ends. Been really impressed with where they've come from spring into summer, and now just even practice one … I've been very impressed by those two guys. We feel confident in that position group that it’s still going to be something that we can lean into and make some things difficult on our opponents because of the versatility of the guys in that room.”
