Tag: Quinn Ewers

Three Longhorns make CBS Sports analyst’s Top 15 players in CFB

Kelvin Banks leads Texas with three Top 15 players in college football player rankings.

The Texas football offseason hype machine is firing on all cylinders. The Longhorns are viewed as having three of the best players in college football heading into 2024.

CBS Sports analyst Blake Brockermeyer ranked the Top 15 players in college football. Three Texas players made the list.

Checking in at No. 10 was Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks who drew the following explanation for his ranking.

“Banks has had a solid sophomore year and is still on pace to be one of the better tackles in the country but showed a few cracks with added responsibility and a target on him after an incredible freshman year. Still, Banks allowed only one sack and 14 total pressures in 2023 and has what it takes to be one of the top picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s tracking to be a first-round pick; Texas has not had an offensive lineman selected in that round since 2002.”

After Banks at No. 14 was Alabama transfer and presumably Texas’ No. 1 wideout Isaiah Bond. Brockermeyer views Bond as a good replacement for what Texas lost at receiver this offseason.

“Texas landed one of the best wide receivers in the country after losing big time playmakers Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy. Bond is a playmaker — an excellent route runner with the track speed ability to take the top off a defense. In many ways, he’s a fusion of Mitchell and Worthy. Bond led Alabama and was at his best in the clutch. He’ll be WR1 for Quinn Ewers and they’ll depart for the NFL together in 2025.”

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers earned the No. 15 ranking after a good campaign in 20233. Brockermeyer wants to see Ewers continue his progression in the upcoming season.

“Ewers took his game to another level in 2023. There are no excuses, with a loaded offense around him, to not have one of the best seasons in the country in 2024. Ewers has all the traits you want as a quarterback as a pure drop back passer with a cannon for an arm and the ability to make the off-platform throws. I’d like to see him more consistently hit the tight windows. Could be the most important player in college football with all eyes on him as Texas enters the SEC.”

We’ll have a good idea of whether or not Ewers has improved when the Longhorns face the Michigan pass defense in Week 2.

ESPN ranks Texas’ Quinn Ewers among college quarterbacks

Ewers is given a fair ranking from ESPN among the top quarterbacks in college football.

The key to success for the Texas football program is no secret. The Longhorns’ 2024 season, like the one before it, hinges on how well starting quarterback Quinn Ewers plays.

Last season’s playoff run proved Ewers capable of high caliber football over the course of a season, but the Longhorns’ title chances come down to whether or not he can improve to the same degree.

ESPN views the third year starter as one of its top quarterbacks in college football. It ranks Ewers No. 3 in the country. Here’s a look at the site’s Top 10.

  1. Carson Beck, Georgia
  2. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
  3. Quinn Ewers, Texas
  4. Jalen Milroe, Alabama
  5. Noah Fifita, Arizona
  6. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
  7. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
  8. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
  9. Cameron Rising, Utah
  10. Cameron Ward, Miami

The above list includes 10 proven quarterbacks. That Ewers is ranked so highly among them speaks to the respect he garnered in his 2023 campaign.

Ewers will look to grow from an impressive season the last time he took the field in which he completed 69% of his passes and put up just under nine yards per attempt.

Several analysts predict Texas to college football’s final four

CBS sports analysts have Texas as one of college football’s last four standing again next season.

The final four of college basketball begins over the weekend. The Longhorns have made it to three final fours in their basketball history.

The football program is looking to go to back-to-back final fours after reaching the College Football Playoff in 2023. CBS Sports released its predictions for which teams will be the last four standing. Several picked Texas.

Six analysts were polled on which teams would make the playoff semifinal. Four picked Texas to advance as far.

Chip Patterson views the Longhorns and Oregon Ducks as teams who could build momentum despite losing their conferences to Georgia and Ohio State.

“I think the likes of Texas or Oregon could be coming off victories in front of their home crowd and primed to take aim at a quarterfinal opponent who hasn’t played since the conference championship game.”

Shehan Jeyarajah had the same four as Patterson: Georgia, Ohio State, Texas and Oregon. He noted that a potential matchup between Texas and a Big 12 or ACC champion could favor the Longhorns.

“Texas and Georgia are also poised to battle at the top of the SEC and the loser of the conference title game is well-positioned to defeat the Big 12 or ACC champion.”

Will Backus based his Texas prediction off the “eye test.”

“Multiple teams could occupy the fourth spot, but this far out from the actual season, it boils down to the eye test. Texas passes with flying colors, given that quarterback Quinn Ewers returns and the Longhorns strategically plugged any holes on the roster with high-impact transfer additions.”

Given the quality of players that Texas lost to the upcoming NFL draft, head coach Steve Sarkisian and company have done well to build the team’s roster through the transfer portal and development. That the team is viewed as a contender to make it back speaks to the job Texas has done replacing those players.

Texas will look to further prove it has the roster to contend when it takes the field on April 20 for its spring game.

Texas WR Isaiah Bond named a newcomer under most pressure

One writer thinks the pressure is on Isaiah Bond.

Isaiah Bond made a splash this offseason when he chose to transfer to Texas away from the Alabama Crimson Tide. The dynamic receiver is now expected to be the primary target in the Texas offense.

Bond’s new role in Austin makes one writer wonder if the pressure is on to produce for his new team. 247Sports’ Grant Hughes named Bond one of the 10 newcomers under the most pressure for the upcoming college football season. He elaborated on Bond’s inclusion on the list.

“Texas’ offense has to replace two potential Day 1 NFL Draft picks Xavier Worthy and AD Mitchell, and is putting a lot of that responsibility on Bond. Like other programs on this list, its championship-or-bust for Texas after star quarterback Quinn Ewers opted to spurn the pros and return to Austin. He’ll have plenty of new toys to play with next season, and Bond is expected to be the de facto No. 1 target despite entering his junior season with less than 900 yards receiving in his career.”

Pressure is one way to look at what is presented to Bond. Now the receiver will be tasked with being the alpha of a brand new receiver room.

In contrast, the Alabama transfer now gets the opportunity to play in Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense. He should be afforded plenty of time to get open alongside a Longhorns offensive line that has excelled in pass protection the last two seasons. The line returns four starters.

In addition, Bond will catch passes from a third year veteran in starting quarterback Quinn Ewers. The two appear to be on the same page in spring practices.

The pressure might be there for Bond, but that’s nothing new since moving from Alabama. Texas will look to fully utilize the downfield passing threat in 2024.

Breaking down Texas QB Quinn Ewers’ throws to NFL draft hopefuls

We look at Ewers’ downfield throws to Texas receivers.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers threw to departing NFL draft hopefuls on Wednesday. As you can imagine his throws drew the attention of several who took in the Texas pro day.

Ewers’ job was to throw catchable footballs to his receivers led by Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell. He got the job done. Nevertheless, his showing illustrated that there’s still work to do in improving downfield accuracy.

The Texas quarterback was one of the better quarterbacks in college football last year. I tend to believe he can be one of the three to five best in the upcoming season. That said, he’s still an imperfect downfield passer that can improve. Both can be true.

Ewers is an excellent short and intermediate passer. In fact, he’s one of the best in college football. Add in his ability to improvise and make high difficulty throws with varied arm angles on the run and he’s a unique weapon for the Texas offense.

The Longhorns’ signal caller enters his third season in Austin with plenty of experience. He’s become the leader of the offense and looked to have improved in pocket awareness in the final few games of the 2023 season. Yet it’s the downfield throws that go two yards too far or too short that will need to tighten up as the season nears.

Quinn Ewers is a very good quarterback. Texas hopes to see him transform from very good to elite over the offseason. If he does, the Longhorns move from playoff contender to one of the national title favorites in 2024.

LOOK: Texas football players, coaches during the first day of spring practice

Here’s a look at the best photos from Texas’ first day of spring practice on Tuesday.

Texas held its first practice of spring ball on Tuesday. Continue reading “LOOK: Texas football players, coaches during the first day of spring practice”

Texas among CBS Sports’ deepest quarterback rooms in the country for 2024

“If Ewers goes down, Manning is more than ready to step into the fray.”

It’s no secret that Texas football is home to one of the top quarterback rooms in the country, but how do they stack up among other teams? Continue reading “Texas among CBS Sports’ deepest quarterback rooms in the country for 2024”

247Sports ranks the Top 25 quarterbacks in college football

Brad Crawford shared who he views as college football’s top quarterbacks.

Texas’ Quinn Ewers is one of the top three quarterbacks in college football. That is, if one college football analyst is to be believed.

247Sports’ Brad Crawford shared his ranking of the top 25 quarterbacks in college football with Ewers ranking No. 3. He has the ability to become the best.

The Longhorns’ five-star talent is finally starting to live up to his five-star billing averaging 8.8 yards per attempt and completing 69% of his passes a season ago. Ewers could be even better next season. While he loses his best receiving targets from last year, Texas reloaded with rising talent and four new portal additions between receiver and tight end.

Only Carson Beck (Georgia) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) rank higher than Ewers in the ranking. Beck and Sanders put up better numbers than Ewers a season ago.

A handful of other SEC quarterbacks were ranked by Crawford. The list goes in the following order: Carson Beck (No. 1, Georgia), Shedeur Sanders (No. 2, Colorado), Quinn Ewers (No. 3, Texas), Jaxson Dart (No. 4, Ole Miss).

Where Wisconsin QB Tyler Van Dyke falls on Fanduel’s 2024 Heisman Trophy odds

What’s your expectation for Wisconsin QB Tyler Van Dyke this season?

Wisconsin enters the 2024 football season needing a big year from transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke.

Van Dyke moves to Wisconsin after having spent the first four years of his career at Miami, amassing 7,469 total passing yards 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. The veteran’s best season came as a freshman in 2021, when he threw for 2,931 yards and a 25-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Related: Wisconsin football’s biggest questions entering spring practice

For Luke Fickell’s team to have a resurgent year after 2023’s 7-6 campaign, Van Dyke will need to recapture his 2021 form for a full 12-game schedule.

Looking ahead to the season, we’ve already ranked all 18 programs in the Big Ten, ranked the 18 starting quarterbacks, ranked all 18 head coaches, predicted each Big Ten team’s 2024 record, looked at the early College Football Playoff tiers, made bold predictions for the season and checked in on the Las Vegas win totals for each team in the conference.

Now, here’s where Wisconsin quarterback Tyler Van Dyke falls on Fanduel’s 2024 Heisman Trophy odds list:

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