Tag: Steve Sarkisian

Ranking every former Nick Saban assistant at an FBS head coaching job in 2024

Here’s where every former Nick Saban assistant ranks in our 2024 college football head coach rankings.

It’s a great time of year for college football. The biggest games of October are behind us and teams in the Power Four conferences are gearing up for the final stretch of the regular season in November before conference championship games land on the first week of December.

From there, it’s on to the 12-team College Football Playoff. Whether or not one of those teams are the Alabama Crimson Tide, there are going to be some former members of Nick Saban’s expansive coaching tree leading their own respective programs to the playoff.

A week ago, Roll Tide Wire looked at the Alabama football legend’s coaching tree from college to the NFL.

After Week 9’s slate of games, we rank members of the Saban coaching tree who are head coaches at the FBS level based on how their teams have performed so far this season, along with salary information from the USA TODAY Sports College Football Head Coach Salaries Database.

Note that private schools are not required to release salaries, bonuses, etc. Here are the 14 coaches in order from the up-and-comers to the top of the list.

14. Jim McElwain (Central Michigan Chippewas)

Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Overall Record at Central Michigan: 32-33

2024 Record: 3-5

Week 9 Game: Miami OH 46, Central Michigan 7

2024 Salary: $1,048,493

Three of the Chippewas’ five losses this season have been by 21 or more points, including their 46-7 blowout loss to the RedHawks over the weekend. With the type of salary McElwain is being paid in Year Six at Central Michigan, it’s time the school reassesses.

13. Mike Locksley (Maryland Terrapins)

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Overall Record at Maryland: 33-37

2024 Record: 4-4

Week 9 Game: Minnesota 48, Maryland 23

2024 Salary: $5.8 million

While Maryland is a tough place to win, especially in a crowded, top-heavy Big Ten, the results just aren’t there for Locksley in Year Six in College Park. The Terps dropped their third game in the last four over the weekend and sit at 4-4. With games against the Oregon Ducks, Iowa Hawkeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions still on the schedule, getting to a fourth straight bowl game is far from a given. 

12. Billy Napier (Florida Gators)

Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Overall Record at Florida: 14-17

2024 Record: 4-3

Week 9 Game: Bye

2024 Salary: $7.3 million

The Gators have won three of their last four games and have climbed up USA TODAY Sports’ re-ranking of all 134 FBS teams (they’re currently No. 44). But unless Florida can finish strong, which would include pulling massive upsets against either Georgia or Texas, then LSU and Ole Miss, it’s likely too late for Napier to save his job. A better bet is the Gators drop all four before their annual rivalry game with Florida State.

11. Major Applewhite (South Alabama Jaguars)

Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Overall/Current Record at South Alabama: 4-4

Week 9 Game: South Alabama 46, UL Monroe 17

2024 Salary: $825,000

South Alabama is in a position to fight for a Sun Belt title in Applewhite’s first season. The Jags are 3-1 in conference play after handing ULM its first Sun conference loss of the year. South Alabama has big games against Georgia Southern and Louisiana on its November slate, two programs that are also vying for a chance at the conference sweepstakes.

10. Butch Jones (Arkansas State Red Wolves)

Mickey Welsh / USA TODAY NETWORK

Overall Record at Arkansas State: 16-29

2024 Record: 5-3

Week 9 Game: Arkansas State 34, Troy 31

2024 Salary: $825,000

Year 4 at Arkansas State could be a turning point for Jones, whose team improved to 5-3 after its third win in the last four games. With a bye this week, the Red Wolves have a huge game in Sun Belt play against Louisiana on Nov. 9. A win in Lafayette would give Arkansas State a big boost toward playing for a conference championship.

9. Charles Huff (Marshall Thundering Herd)

Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Overall Record at Marshall: 26-20

2024 Record: 4-3

Week 9 Game: Bye

2024 Salary: $755,500

Marshall’s 21-point fourth-quarter collapse against Georgia Southern on Oct. 12 is the only thing standing between the Herd and an unbeaten record in Sun Belt play.

8. Bill O’Brien (Boston College Eagles)

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Overall/Current Record at Boston College: 4-4

Week 9 Game: Louisville 31, Boston College 27

2024 Salary: Private

The Eagles have dropped three straight since their 4-1 start. They have a bye this Saturday, then host longtime rival Syracuse on Nov. 9. With games against two Top 25 opponents in Pitt and SMU in November, the Eagles’ synch for a bowl berth may not be as tight as once expected.

7. Lance Taylor (Western Michigan Broncos)

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Overall Record at Western Michigan: 9-11

2024 Record: 5-3

Week 9 Game: Western Michigan 52, Kent State 21

2024 Salary: $850,000

The Broncos improved to 4-0 in MAC play last Saturday with a win over a Kent State program that is widely regarded as the worst in the FBS ranks this year. In just his second season in Kalamazoo, Taylor has Western Michigan positioned to win a conference title. Following a bye this Saturday, the Broncos will look to run the table against Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, and Eastern Michigan in November.

6. Brent Key (Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets)

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Overall Record at Georgia Tech: 16-14

2024 Record: 5-4

Week 9 Game: Virginia Tech 21, Georgia Tech 6

2024 Salary: $2.9 million

Georgia Tech became bowl-eligible in Key’s second year in Atlanta in 2023, marking their first postseason berth since 2018. The Yellow Jackets are coming off back-to-back losses (to Notre Dame and Virginia Tech) but have a chance to play spoiler against Miami when the Hurricanes visit Bobby Dodd Stadium on Nov. 9. Tech also has a promising start on its 2025 recruiting class, ranking No. 17 nationally by 247Sports.

5. Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss Rebels)

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Overall Record at Ole Miss: 40-17

2024 Record: 6-2

Week 9 Game: Ole Miss 26, Oklahoma 14

2024 Salary: $9 million

Kiffin hasn’t been able to win the big one yet, but the time he’s spent at a historically underwhelming SEC program has been worth what Ole Miss is paying him. The Rebels’ Week 9 win over Oklahoma wasn’t pretty, but the team got it done in the second half and kept their slim Playoff hopes alive. They face the Arkansas Razorbacks this week in Fayetteville before a must-win game in Oxford against Georgia on Nov. 9.

4. Mario Cristobal (Miami Hurricanes)

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Overall Record at Miami: 20-13

2024 Record: 8-0

Week 9 Game: Miami 36, Florida State 14

2024 Salary: $7.7 million

Is “The U” really back? Or will “Little ol’ Clemson ” be the cream of the ACC’s crop once the dust settles in Charlotte on Dec. 7? For now, Cristobal has the ‘Canes at 8-0 after some close calls (literally) against both Virginia Tech and Cal. Beyond what Miami does against Clemson or in the 12-team Playoff (if they get there), I’m curious to see whether the Hurricanes can become the new standard in the ACC — or if this is simply a good team having a one-off year in a down conference similar to Florida State’s 2023 squad.

3. Curt Cignetti (Indiana Hoosiers)

Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti during practice at Memorial Stadium on Thursday, March 21, 2024.

Overall/Current Record at Indiana: 8-0

Week 9 Game: Indiana 31, Washington 17

2024 Salary: $4.25 million

Cignetti has the Hoosiers off to their best start in almost 60 years (1967). His program just hosted “College GameDay” in Week 9, and the Hoosiers have thrust themselves squarely into the College Football Playoff conversation. Indiana’s Nov. 23 trip to Columbus to face the Ohio State Buckeyes is shaping up to have a Game of the Year type feeling in the Big Ten.

2. Steve Sarkisian (Texas Longhorns)

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Overall Record at Texas: 32-15

2024 Record: 7-1

Week 9 Game: Texas 27, Vanderbilt 24

2024 Salary: $10.6 million

Vanderbilt was looking to add another top-ranked team to their hit list, three weeks after their upset win over Alabama. Instead, Texas bounced back from a double-digit loss to Georgia with a quality road win against a Top 25 opponent, shaking off an early interception by Quinn Ewers and some other sloppy play (10 penalties and four sacks allowed).

1. Kirby Smart (Georgia Bulldogs)

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Overall Record at Georgia: 100-17

2024 Record: 6-1

Week 9 Game: Bye 

2024 Salary: $13,282,580 

Smart tops our rankings entering November based on the total body of work this season. The Bulldogs have bounced back strong after their 41-34 loss to Alabama on Sept. 28. Georgia’s 30-15 victory over Texas on Oct. 19 in Austin sent a message that the road to Atlanta still runs through Athens. 

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian talks loss to Georgia, controversial penalty reversal

Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian shares what he said to officials during the controversial waived penalty against Georgia

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian did not think Texas played its best game against the Georgia Bulldogs, but Sarkisian gives a lot of credit to UGA.

“Unfortunately we didn’t play our best football tonight,” said Sarkisian. “But we were still competitive. Hopefully we get another crack at (Georgia).”

Georgia and Texas could meet in the SEC championship game. Georgia holds a tiebreaker edge over Texas and is higher in the SEC standings than the Longhorns, but both teams only have one SEC loss.

“That’s a good football team. Credit to Kirby and their staff and their players being ready to go in the first half. And like I said, they’ve been the standard in college football now for about five, six, seven years,” Sarkisian said.

Georgia has won two national championships over the last three seasons, but the Bulldogs played with a sense of desperation and desire that Texas could not match on Saturday.

“I thought we played them really well in the second half. But we just, when you get behind the eight ball with the way we played the first half, it’s a lot to overcome,” added Sarkisian.

Georgia outscored Texas 23-0 in the first half. Texas made the game interesting in the second half, but never threatened to take a lead. The Longhorns lost 30-15.

“I was literally just asking the official what he saw to warrant DPI (defensive pass interference). And then at that moment, the trash came on the field,” said Sarkisian on the conversation the officials during the controversial penalty reversal.

“All of us, Longhorn Nation, I know we can be better than that. The fact that we’re able to get that stopped and get that taken care of and then regroup, then they overturn that call, give us an opportunity to get a short field and punch one in and close it to a one-score game,” continued Sarkisian.

Texas’ touchdown following the interception cut Georgia’s lead to eight points. However, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck and the Bulldogs marched down the field to retake a 15-point lead on the next drive.

Georgia’s offense was not the problem for the Longhorns. The Bulldogs relied on their defense, which forced four Texas turnovers to set up the Georgia offense.

Linebackers Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams headline Georgia’s ferocious pass rush, which totaled seven sacks and prevented Texas from finding any offensive rhythm.

“I think No. 13 (Williams) being healthy helped them. He hadn’t played there for a while. I think he played nine snaps last week and then came back tonight ready to go, and he’s a problem,” said Sarkisian.

“No. 11 (Walker) is a physical player off the edge as well at linebacker,” added Sarkisian. Walker finished the first half with three sacks and seven tackles.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

“You don’t have the top one or two recruiting classes in the country for six straight years and not have good defensive personnel,” said Sarkisian. “They’ve got good players, and like I said, they’ve got a good scheme.”

Steve Sarkisian, and then Kirby Smart, absolutely lost it over chaotic Texas-Georgia penalty sequence

Steve Sarkisian and Kirby Smart threw understandable sideline tantrums over pass interference calls.

Things got heated and controversial late in the third quarter of No. 5 Georgia’s road game against No. 1 Texas on Saturday.

After a dominant first half, the Bulldogs had a 23-8 lead over the Longhorns through much of the third quarter. On third-and-10 from Georgia’s 31-yard line, Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron picked off quarterback Carson Beck and returned it 36 yards just nine shy of completing a pick-six.

But officials called it back for a pass interference flag against Texas, which outraged the fans at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. So they threw water bottles and maybe other things on the field.

After Texas coach Steve Sarkisian went over to the crowd and told them to stop, he returned to the sideline and had a proper tantrum over the questionable penalty.

The game didn’t immediately resume, and eventually, after a notably long amount of time and the field was cleaned up, officials reversed the penalty call back in Texas’ favor. So then it was time for Georgia coach Kirby Smart to lose his cool on the officials.

While college football coaches have a solid history of overreacting and freaking out on the sidelines, Sarkisian and Smart, for different reasons, were understandably livid. It was a debatable call in the first place, and then to reverse it after so long is wild.

Texas ended up scoring on its next drive to shrink Georgia’s lead to 23-15.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393249]

Texas capitalizes on controversial call reversal to cut Georgia lead to eight points

Controversy in the third quarter of Georgia-Texas benefited the Longhorns

A wild scene in the third quarter in Austin on Saturday night.

It appeared as if Texas had intercepted Carson Beck for the third time.

However, a penalty flag for pass interference led to a storm of water bottles being thrown on the field from the Texas student section delaying the game with Georgia.

However, while the field was being cleaned and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian pleaded with the students to sop throwing bottles, officials got together and what came out of it was the referee saying the Jahdae Barron interception was good and it was Texas football at the Georgia nine.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart was ballistic after the reversal.

Quinn Ewers, back in after being replaced by Arch Manning in the second quarter, threw a touchdown pass to Jaydon Blue.

Georgia led 23-15 and was driving after a flea flicker worked for 43 yards at the end of the third quarter.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian tempted Kirk Herbstreit with a custom jersey for his dog Ben on College GameDay

Steve Sarkisian knows he needs college football’s most well-traveled dog on Texas’ side.

Wherever ESPN’s College GameDay pulls up each week, there’s always a rush to curry as much favor as possible with panelists Lee Corso, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit and Rece Davis.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian took a different route on Saturday.

While jumping on the broadcast ahead of Week 8’s marquee matchup in Austin between No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Georgia, Sarkisian made a play for easily the most beloved member of the Herbstreit family — Kirk’s dog Ben.

Now, this is a high-stakes move. Ben Herbstreit has already given a solid verbal (bark) commitment to his family’s alma mater of Ohio State, but the jersey Sarkisian brought him may just have him reconsider.

Well played, Sark. Way to remember the No. 1 rule of college football: Always Be Recruiting.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=693157918]

How much does Texas A&M HC Mike Elko make per year?

Here’s what Texas A&M HC Mike Elko nets per year compared to the rest of Power 5 head coaches

Being a College Football head coach at the Power 5 conference level comes with a ton of daily stress similar to that of a CEO at a Fortune 100 company.

However, both jobs come with significant financial perks, which usually include enormous salaries with hefty buyouts, a subject that recently bit Texas A&M in the you know what after firing former head coach Jimbo Fisher, who will receive $70-plus million in compensation over the next decade.

After his dismissal last November, former Texas A&M defensive coordinator and former Duke head coach Mike Elko returned to College Station with complete backing from the University and fan base. He received a salary that fits his experience and prowess despite only two years as a Power 5 head coach.

According to USA TODAY’s updated College Football Head Coach Salary rankings, Elko is the 24th highest-earning head coach, with a total yearly compensation of $7 million, a 3.8 million total bonus earning potential, and a $27 million buyout as of the start of the 2024 calendar year.

Compared to the rest of the SEC head coaches, Elko is the 11th-highest-paid coach in the conference. Here are some of the notable SEC salaries this season, led by Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian:

  • Kirby Smart — Georgia: $13,282,580 per season; Buyout: 118,083,333
  • Steve Sarkisian — Texas: $10,600,000; Buyout: $55,044,583
  • Kalen DeBoer — Alabama: $10 million; Buyout: $70,050,000
  • Brian Kelly — LSU: $9,975,000; Buyout: $61,738,333
  • Mark Stoops — Kentucky: $9,013,600; Buyout: $44,437,500
  • Lane Kiffin — Ole Miss: $9 million; Buyout: $36,590,000

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

How Brent Venables, Steve Sarkisian last coordinator stops brought them to OU-Texas

Mirror Reflections: Steve Sarkisian and Brent Venables are very different, but also quite similar.

The 120th edition of the iconic [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] is days away from coming to fruition. The Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners will face off yet again in Dallas at a neutral site in the Cotton Bowl at the State Fair of Texas in one of the greatest rivalry games sports has to offer. There’s simply nothing like it. The atmosphere and the stakes are simply unbeatable in college football.

On the surface, the two head coaches in this game couldn’t be more different.

Texas’ [autotag]Steve Sarkisian[/autotag] enters his fourth Red River with a 1-2 record in the game. He’s one of the best offensive minded coaches in all of college football, renowned for directing some of the greatest units in recent memory. He’s a quarterback whisperer who played the position at BYU in the mid-1990s for LaVell Edwards. His teams put points on the scoreboard in an entertaining fashion.

Oklahoma’s [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], on the other hand, enters his third Red River at 1-1. He’s regarded as one of college football’s greatest defensive minds, and has also been in charge of some of the best units of the 21st century. His specialty is linebackers, as he played the position at Kansas State in 1991 and 1992. His teams suffocate opposing offenses and create chaos defensively.

But as different as these two men are, we can look at their most recent gigs before becoming the head coaches at Texas and Oklahoma to see how they’re building things very similarly.

Sarkisian had multiple stints coaching quarterbacks for Pete Carroll at USC from 2001 to 2008, though he spent the 2004 season doing the same in the NFL for the then Oakland Raiders. In 2007 and 2008, he was the offensive coordinator for the Trojans, in addition to his role as the quarterbacks coach.

From 2009 to 2013, Sarkisian served as the head coach at Washington before returning to USC after Lane Kiffin’s firing. For two seasons, he coached Southern California, but was fired midway through the 2015 season due to personal issues.

But it’s what happened next that got him where he is today. Sarkisian was hired as an offensive analyst by Nick Saban at Alabama for the 2016 season. He then spent two years as the Atlanta Falcons’ OC before returning to Tuscaloosa to be the offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide.

In 2019 and 2020, Alabama and Sarkisian had some of the best offenses college football had ever seen. The Tide were particularly dominant in 2020, winning the national championship with an undefeated record and an incredible offense. All of that happened with Sarkisian calling plays on offense for a defensive-minded head coach in Saban.

Sarkisian was hired to be Texas’s head coach following his success in Tuscaloosa in 2020, replacing Tom Herman. It took a couple of years, but he has brought Texas “back” after nearly 15 years of dormancy. He learned from his time at Washington and USC, but his most crucial steps were the three years he spent learning how to build a program under Saban. He’s taken those lessons to Austin, building the team the way it has to be done in college football, something his two predecessors failed to do.

His philosophy is a combination of Edwards, Carroll, and Saban, but he certainly draws from his time in Tuscoloosa on how the process needs to look in the modern era of college football.

Venables coached at Kansas State under Bill Snyder for six seasons, serving as the linebackers coach from 1996 to 1998. [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag] hired him to be the co-defensive coordinator and coach linebackers at Oklahoma, where the Sooners won the national championship in 2000. Venables eventually became OU’s solo defensive coordinator a few years later, coaching some of the best units in college football.

He decided to leave Norman to go to Clemson, serving as the defensive coordinator under Dabo Swinney from 2012 to 2021. The Tigers won the ACC and made the College Football Playoff six times in a row, winning the national championship in 2016 and 2018. Clemson was often led by stingy defenses in their run atop the sport. All of that happened with Venables calling the defense for an offensive-minded head coach in Swinney.

Venables was hired to replace Lincoln Riley after the 2021 season and has taken on the task of rebuilding the program and leading it into the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. Though the job isn’t finished, there are certainly things to like about the way Venables is steering the ship.

His philosophy is a combination of Snyder, Stoops, and Swinney, but what he learned in Clemson mirrors how the Tigers were always the biggest foil to the Crimson Tide. Swinney’s squads were often the only team capable of matching up across the board with Saban’s teams. The two programs were often “shadowy reflections” of each other, as René Belloq once said to Indiana Jones.

Swinney built the Tigers from an also-ran to a powerhouse, and Venables was there for a lot of it, watching how it was done. He’s taken those lessons to Norman, building the program in a way his predecessor could not.

Alabama and Clemson were the titans of college football for over half a decade, dominating the four-team era of the CFP. Both teams are still very good and positioned nicely in the twelve-team era and beyond as well. Saban and Swinney will go down as the two greatest coaches of that era. Bama and Clemson faced off in the title game three times and once in the semis. The Tigers went 2-1 in the national championship, but the Crimson Tide had the edge in the 2017 semifinal.

As a change in leadership has taken place for the Tide, and the Tigers have seen their death grip on the ACC weaken, two former top assistants have made their way to the Red River Rivalry, applying what they’ve learned to their programs.

All of that said, both teams are on their way up entering the SEC. It may not take long for Texas under Sarkisian to look similar to Alabama under Saban. And it may not take long for Oklahoma under Venables to look a lot like Clemson at their best under Swinney. The chess match between the two every October will no doubt be intense.

Even though one head coach has a gifted mind for offense and the other has a brilliant mind for defense, and even though they come from completely different backgrounds, Steve Sarkisian and Brent Venables may be far more alike than you think.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

Why Steve Sarkisian is waiting to announce Texas’ starting QB vs. Mississippi State in SEC opener

It’s unclear who will start for Texas at quarterback in Week 5.

Quinn Ewers or Arch Manning? Well, for Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian, it remains undecided who will start at quarterback for the Longhorns when they make their official SEC debut against Mississippi State.

Ewers was Texas’ starting quarterback to open the season, but the Heisman Trophy contender has been dealing with an oblique strain the last couple weeks. So in Week 4 against UL Monroe, Manning was named the starter, and he didn’t disappoint, leading the Lonhorns to a 51-3 victory. His Heisman odds also skyrocketed when he replaced injured Ewers against UTSA in Week 3.

But when it comes to the Texas-Mississippi State game Saturday, Sarkisian is holding off on announcing a starter, although he previously noted that Ewers has looked good in practice, ESPN reported.

Thursday, Sarkisian explained the situation. More via ESPN:

“We’re going to decide on the quarterback thing tomorrow,” Sarkisian said. “It won’t be a secret. We’re not trying to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes. Just want to give Quinn every opportunity to see if he’s ready to play and what he looks like.”

Against UL Monroe, Manning completed 15-of-29 passes for 258 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. On the season before Ewers suffered an injury, he rocking a 73.4 completion percentage, throwing for 691 total yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions.

Both quarterbacks are clearly talented, but there’s a chance that with Ewers’ injury, they both may be out of Heisman Trophy contention.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393249]

Joel Klatt says ‘No QB controversy’ at Texas, Ewers and Manning a ‘win-win’

Fox Sports Joel Klatt said the Texas depth makes the Longhorns elite. Part of of that depth is at QB. Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning a win-win

Fox lead college football analyst Joel Klatt discussed the Texas Longhorns QB situation at the beginning of his weekend recap on the Joel Klatt Show Monday.

Klatt said one of the reasons he thinks Texas is such an elite team is the Longhorns depth. Part of of that depth is at QB.

“Some of that was an assumption. We think that Arch Manning is going to be good, and a lot of that has to do with his last name. But this was really the first time we got to see it. See him have the entire offense at his disposal. See him run the offense with Sark being Uber aggressive calling plays. See him being able to run on the edge. I tell you what, all that did for me was solidify the fact that Texas is one of the best teams in the country.” — Joel Klatt

In his weekly Top 10, Klatt ranked Texas No. 1. It’s the same ranking Texas has in the latest AP Poll. Texas is No. 2 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

https://twitter.com/joelklatt/status/1835198812660679011

Klatt went more in depth in his thoughts about Texas’ wealth at the quarterback position.

“Oh yeah, they’re going to be just fine. In fact, you could probably make an argument that Manning might be even more talented than Ewers, even though Ewers clearly has the experience edge over Manning. So you could make an argument that they’re not going to miss a beat. Even if their starting quarterback goes down. And that’s a quarterback that I still believe is going to wind up in New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.” — Joel Klatt

One that that really impressed Klatt was Manning’s speed, which we’ve seen glimpses of, but not to the level we did against UTSA.

“What we saw from Manning, particularly running the football, was something I didn’t think he had in him. That was something pretty special. That long run was the longest touchdown run by a quarterback since Vince Young. That’s saying something, because Colt McCoy was damn good. … If you’re running over 20.5 miles per hour, hitting 21 miles per hour, some guys that are really fast can hit 22, 22.5 maybe even close to 23. Arch basically hit 21 miles per hour on his touchdown run. That blows my mind. Blows my mind! That’s like fast, fast. Not just regular ‘oh yeah, he can run.’ That’s fast, fast.” — Joel Klatt

The Fox analyst things this is a great situation for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian.

“Sark has to think, ‘I’m good.’ … Sark doesn’t have to rush Ewers back. He can make sure he’s completely healthy. … They’ve got all this time to get him back for Red River then they’ve got Georgia the following week.” — Joel Klatt

So is there a QB controversy? Klatt doesn’t think there is any controversy.

“I don’t believe this is a quarterback controversy, but I do believe this is where people are going to go. Particularly, from a narrative standpoint. And in particular there. Because, let’s face it, a lot of people around Texas love to have an opinion. I’m glad, in this case, that Sark is unwavered by people’s opinion about him or his program. … If Quinn isn’t effective, he’s got a legitimate option. This is a win-win situation for Steve Sarkisian.” — Joel Klatt

 

 

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian provides Quinn Ewers injury update

Status of Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers oblique injury updated by head coach Steve Sarkisian.

Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian gave an update on injured Junior QB Quinn Ewers today in his weekly press conference.

Sarkisian meets the press each Monday and typically looks back at the game just played and forward to the game coming up.

Ewers left Saturday night’s game against the UTSA Roadrunners with an apparent abdominal injury, later clarified as an oblique strain.

On Texas’ fourth offensive drive, after a 49-yard pass to TE Gunnar Helm, the Longhorns QB seemed to be in a lot of pain and was holding his lower rib cage/abdomen.

Ewers left the game and headed to the medical tent for about 15 minutes before leaving for the locker room with a towel over his head. He emerged a few minutes later in street clothes to join his teammates on the sideline.

Before leaving, Sark says Ewers was playing well.

“I thought Quinn, prior to the injury, was having a really good football game. I think he was 14 of 16, which is very efficient. He was playing at a high level.” — Steve Sarkisian

Going forward, the Southlake Carroll product is listed as ‘questionale.’

“It was a non-contact deal, which we touched on. The oblique strain there. Next week when you guys get your injury report, on next Wednesday, that officially begins, he would be listed as questionable. We’re going to monitor him day to day and see what this looks like. But he would be questionable for Saturday on the report.” — Steve Sarkisian

https://www.youtube.com/live/pdj19h4-9Ts?si=X5zqu9yBVDv5SYGB

The good news is the Longhorns have what appears to be a very capable backup in Arch Manning and a favorable schedule heading into the Texas-OU game.