Under Steve Sarkisian, the Texas Longhorns have had a spoil of riches of offensive talent. While his ability to recruit and bring elite skill position players to Austin has helped him turnaround the Texas program, Saturday before the Big 12 championship game an important announcement shook the college football world.
Texas Longhorns Return of Starting QB
In what will be the last Big 12 game for Texas, while preparing to face an Oklahoma State squad, news broke of Quinn Ewers intending to return to the program next year. Believing that it is in his best interest to learn and develop in college for an additional year, he believes it will set him up for longterm NFL success at the next level.
The former number one prospect out of Southlake, Texas has showed improvement under Steve Sarkisian will will also benefit from another year to work on his body to bulk up for higher impact hits from NFL defenders.
Texas Longhorns NIL Power
It is no secret that the Texas Longhorns have one of the most well financed athletic departments, donor systems, and willing alumni supporters. This has translated into an ability for Texas university athletes, in all sports, to be compensated at a rate higher than most other schools.
While this is not meant to be a debate on players being deserving of payment or not, the fact remains that top-tier players garner an ability to make millions as a college athlete, especially in Austin. In years prior to the NIL ruling, many would elect to be more aggressive in their draft declaration. It made sense for even borderline professional talents to make sure that they would not lose out on a potential career. But with this new monetary avenue, it will always be a possibility for athletes to stay longer in college depending on their individual circumstances.
For Quinn Ewers, as an early high school graduate who sat most his first year at Ohio Sate , it’s easy to forget that he is still only 20 years old. After a couple of minor injury setbacks, a full year of being able to play in the same system and show improvement will certainly allow him to impress NFL teams and rise his draft potential.
Texas Longhorns Likely Departure
While it is great for him, and welcomed news for Steve Sarkisian, potential superstar freshman Arch Manning cannot be expected to remain as a Longhorn. Barring an injury, the nephew of famed quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning, would likely not see meaningful snaps. It is unlikely that Sarkisian would implement a platoon or two quarterback system. And seeing that he too was the number one rated recruit of his class, it’s hard to not see him looking for playing time at another school.
Against Texas Tech, in limited playing time, Manning more than looked the part. He would immediately be the most coveted transfer portal player that teams would be looking to add to their program. Even if a school already has an established quarterback, his potential and skillset would being an instant impact anywhere.
During his high school recruitment he received interest and offers from top tiered programs such as Alabama, Clemson, and Georgia. With the latest news, you can expect his name entering the portal soon, and the same amount of attention from programs looking to add his services for their 2024 football campaigns.