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It is time to touch the hem of Tim Tebow’s garment. Get used to folks from the deep south calling Paul Finebaum’s show to rant about Alabama’s football program. The battle between Texas and Tennessee for the “Real UT” nickname is about to intensify. Thanksgiving dinner will take place at Billy Liucci’s house this year, but the TexAgs staff will pat down Longhorn fans for hidden pink objects.
I once said, “Big 12 Media Days are typically the opening act of conference media events. College football fans are typically more interested in ACC and Big Ten media days than the Big 12. Our conference is like the local band that plays around 5 p.m. at a musical festival. Friends and family show up early for Big 12 Media Days but the conference is just killing time until the headliner, SEC Media Days, hits the stage at midnight.” Few things have changed.
The Pac-12’s two remaining teams (Oregon State and Washington State) held a two-team media event this past week, which was admirable. Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy gave everyone helpful drinking and driving advice at Big 12 Media Days this past week.
The headliner takes the stage in Arlington on Monday.
It is time for SEC Media Days.
Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian, we have some questions for you.
“We're excited about it,” Sarkisian said this summer when asked about entering the SEC. “It's a great league. Extremely competitive. Really talented players. Excellent coaches. Week in and week out the challenges that it possesses. But at the end of the day, let's acknowledge it, like we do, and what we need to do, and what are we doing today to try to help ensure that we're putting our best foot forward when the opportunities present themselves. It's exciting. Don't get me wrong. I think that from a university standpoint, from our athletic department standpoint, I feel like we are kind of on the forefront of that from a football perspective, especially being a fall sport where we're kind of one of the first ones to go compete. We want to make sure that we do our part.
“We know it's going to be a heck of a challenge. It's a really, really good league. And the moment you think you can take a break, the next team coming in is probably better than most people think. You've got to be prepared for it and you got to be prepared for the grind of the season in the SEC.”
There is no denying that Sarkisian successfully navigated the grind of last season.
Longhorn fans earned the right to spend the offseason fanning themselves while sipping on a margarita with Tajin on the rim after a 12-2 record. Texas defeated Alabama by double-digits on the road. The Longhorns won a conference championship in their final Big 12 season. And Texas had 11 players selected in the NFL Draft.
However, we have followed football long enough to know it is time to put a ribbon and bow on those accomplishments and focus on the upcoming season.
Can Texas compete for an SEC Championship in year one?
The answer is yes.
That doesn’t negate some of the questions you or I may have heading into this season.
@Travis Galey wrote a column this past week – and it was very good – with questions he had for each SEC football coach.
Here are the questions I have for Sarkisian.
Can this team get up for non-ranked opponents?
Texas was great in the big games last season. We saw Texas go into Tuscaloosa and take Alabama’s cornbread. The Longhorns fought hard during a loss against Oklahoma. Texas delivered a butt-whopping to Texas Tech to pay back the disrespect from Lubbock before the season. Sarkisian’s team beat down Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship game and Texas fans hilariously booed commissioner Brett Yormark before and after the game. Texas was ready for those big games.
Yet, Texas and Wyoming were tied at 10-10 heading into the fourth quarter. Texas escaped a near upset on the road against Houston. Sarkisian’s team led TCU, 26-6, at halftime and held on for a 29-26 victory. At least Kansas State was ranked, but the Longhorns led 27-7 with 4:13 minutes remaining in the third quarter, blew that lead, and held on for a 33-30 overtime victory.
The good news is Texas pulled off those wins.
Nevertheless, expecting a repeat of that success in the SEC is risky.
What improvements will you make in the red zone?
Again, when you win, it is easy to ignore areas that need improvement. It is similar to the A-Team accepting a mission, somebody drugging B. A. Baracus to get him on the plane, and the ensuing chaos, followed by Hannibal lighting a cigar and saying, “I love it when a plan comes together.” Sure, it all worked out in the end. But that doesn't mean there isn’t room for improvement.
Texas finished with the ninth-ranked red zone offense in the Big 12 last season. The Longhorns scored on 80.3 percent of their red zone attempts. Overall, Texas was ranked 90thin the country within that category.
What about the pass defense?
I think it is easy for Texas fans to feel better about this area of concern. Everyone has high hopes for cornerbacks Malik Muhammad and Kobe Black. Cornerback Jay’Vion Cole could develop into a great transfer portal addition. Safety Derek Williams is a future NFL Draft pick and former Clemson safety Andrew Mukuba will help this secondary. Of course, Jahdae Barron will lead this group.
Thank goodness because the Longhorn pass defense was ranked 116th in the country last year. That was out of 133 teams. We saw a secondary that struggled to stop Houston’s crossing routes and allowed Washington quarterback Michael Pennix to put on a passing clinic against Texas in the playoffs. It would be nice to know Sarkisian’s comfort level with this unit.
Are the interior defensive linemen ready to go?
Replacing Keondre Coburn and Moro Ojomo was not the toughest task. Both players were good college players but never viewed as elite. However, Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat were arguably the best interior defensive line duo in the country last year. Their presence is why Texas had the No.1 rushing defense in the Big 12. They were also able to generate quarterback pressure when necessary. Murphy developed into a first-round pick, while Sweat was selected in the second round.
Texas will attempt to replace those standouts with Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton. There is some concern behind the scenes about the potential effectiveness of each player. I was told the staff loves their defensive ends and believes those guys could have a huge impact this season. When it comes to the interior defensive linemen, they are cautiously optimistic.
Is Quinn Ewers ready to take the next step?
Ewers played a huge role in Texas winning the Big 12 championship and advancing to the playoffs last season. He played well on the road against Alabama and threw dimes during his outstanding performance against Oklahoma State in the title game. Ewers has played well in the big games.
Nevertheless, the next step is emerging into a quarterback who dominates his opponents every week. He struggled against Wyoming a week after an outstanding performance against Alabama. In addition, he took an unnecessary hit against Houston that could have been avoided if he slid.
Texas should have the quarterback advantage in nearly every game this season. It will if Ewers can duplicate his big-game performances every week.
Is Arch Manning ready?
Casey Thompson and Hudson Card were injured during the 2021 season. Ewers missed four weeks with two sprains in his clavicle in 2022. He missed two games with an AC joint sprain in 2023.
“That's the reason we played him the way that we did in the spring game,” Sarkisian previously told me. “That's why before the spring game, I met with Quinn and he knew how that was going to go. I needed Arch to get extensive playing time, and I needed Trey Owens to get extensive playing time. A year ago, that didn't happen. Arch got a couple of series as a true freshman. Maalik was playing. Quinn was playing a bunch. I know who Quinn is. I needed to get those guys exposed in the spring game. Hopefully, we can find some opportunities early in the season where we can get Arch some valuable experience, and even Trey for that matter, just to get them comfortable playing.”
If Ewers is forced to miss any time, Manning must be ready to go.
I am sure you have questions as well (feel free to drop them in the comments).
If you do not receive those answers when Sarkisian speaks on Wednesday, hopefully, for the sake of Longhorn fans, the answers will be evident during the season.
It is time for SEC Media Days.
Billy, we will see you soon.
Funniest Things You Will See This Week
One day the kids will be just as mortified as the parents
Bartender, cut him off and take his car keys
When a reporter forgets to mute his microphone on a work call
He just wanted to thank her with a hug
Sports On A Dime
1. I learned Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers will appear in a Dr. Pepper commercial before the college football season begins. I do not have the details. However, those commercials are usually comedy-based and we will likely see the lighter side of Ewers. Regardless, Ewers will be the face of this year’s program.
2. Here is The Athletic’s Dane Brugler list of the top five 2025 NFL Draft quarterbacks:
1. Carson Beck, Georgia
2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
3. Quinn Ewers, Texas
4. Conner Weigman, Texas A&M
5. Drew Allar, Penn State
Quinn Ewers, Texas (6-2e, 210e)*
What he does best: Arm talent
Regardless of Ewers’ feet, body balance or arm angles, the ball consistently jumps off his hand with effortless zip and control, which allows him to make all the necessary throws. He has a snappy release and can just as easily rip a frozen rope with velocity to the wide side of the field or loft a teardrop over the coverage.
There are plenty of examples of Ewers’ arm strength on film, but I wanted to highlight his knack for timing and touch when leading receivers downfield:
Must improve: Technical refinement
Though he has an impressive arm, Ewers’ mechanical inconsistencies will lead to sprays or misfires. At times, sloppy routes by receivers are the culprit, as they force choppy footwork in Ewers’ drops. But other times, the quarterback relies too much on his arm talent and not enough on a sound base or rhythmic delivery. Continued technical refinement should lead to fewer missed throws this upcoming season.
2024 season/2025 NFL Draft outlook
From the start, the bar for Ewers was set incredibly high — a “perfect” five-star recruiting rating; more than $1 million in NIL deals before he took a collegiate snap. For many, Ewers wasn’t given the opportunity to develop, but rather was expected to be “the guy” almost immediately.
Instead, he has been like most promising quarterbacks — flashes early with steady improvements since becoming the starter. Ewers finished last season with a 69 percent completion rate for 3,479 passing yards and 27 total touchdowns as he led the Longhorns to a Big 12 title and spot in the College Football Playoff. Even with Arch Manning waiting in the wings (and Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell now in the NFL), Ewers should have the Longhorns in line for a spot in the 12-team playoff.
Aside from the numbers, Ewers made noticeable strides between what he put on tape in 2022 and 2023, and it is fair to project another jump in his development this upcoming season. It was also encouraging that he put some of his best throws on the tapes that mattered the most, including against Alabama, Oklahoma State (Big 12 Championship Game) and Washington (College Football Playoff). With his arm talent and experience (he’ll finish this season with almost 35 career starts), Ewers has first-round buzz among scouts, although his development in 2024 will ultimately determine where he is drafted in April.
3. One interesting aspect about Brugler’s rankings was seeing Cade Klubnik ranked 10th on his Preseason top 10 draft-eligible underclassmen list. There were plenty of Ewers vs. Klubnik debates when each player was in high school. So far, Ewers has been the better college quarterback with more team success.
4. One source told me Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian deserves more credit than he receives for recruiting high-level quarterbacks. That person said while some people are panicking about recruiting right now, do not forget that Sarkisian successfully recruited Ewers, Maalik Murphy, Arch Manning, Trey Owens, KJ Lacey (2025), and Dia Bell (2026). The point was that Sarkisian stabilized an unsteady quarterback room and made the Longhorns' most important position on the football field a strength.
5. I prefer to leave the recruiting reporting to Jason Suchomel and Geoff Ketchum. Nevertheless, as of this past week, people inside the building feel good about Michael Fasusi. Now, does that mean Fasusi will commit to Texas? Not in my opinion because nothing is definitive until an athlete signs with a university. And it is easy to be skeptical because everyone behind the scenes believed they would land Dakorien Moore. Let’s see what happens next month.
6. I do not play video games anymore but can admit this does look pretty cool
7. If Michael Terry III commits to Texas, I will buy as much stock as possible. I think Terry will become a beast on the next level.
8. Deion Sanders said he cannot find 85 players worth giving scholarships to and save them. But his team finished 4-8 last season? I guess something is to be said for going out on your shield.
9. I had the privilege of covering former Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. He was always fun and energetic. Kiffin was very respected and worked with Tony Dungy to build the infamous "Tampa 2" scheme, which helped the Bucs win the Super Bowl in 2002 and was copied by several other teams around the league.
RIP, Coach Kiffin.
10. As a goalkeeper dad, I hate to see a great effort by Brad Stuver go to waste due to a lack of offense.
