Texas left a lot to be desired in 2021 after finishing the season with a miserable 5-7 record.
The roster had major flaws everywhere, certain coaching hires were not the right ones, and overall the team lacked mental toughness and were unable to overcome adversity. This was evident in the six consecutive losses that they suffered with a handful of them happening after Texas had built a double digit lead.
Steve Sarkisian had a major roster overhaul this offseason, whether it was recruits or transfers. Now, the Longhorns are set to have several new faces starting in 2022.
One of those new faces expected to make noise right away is Ohio State transfer Quinn Ewers. The redshirt freshman decided to forgo his senior season last year to enroll at Ohio State, where he played sparingly. However, the reason the expectations surrounding him are so high is due to the fact that he held a perfect rating as a high school recruit.
Even with all of his high school success and accolades, 247Sports views him as their burning question surrounding Texas. Here is what they said about Ewers:
How could this question not be about Quinn Ewers? There are some serious concerns for Texas on both sides of the line of scrimmage – the o-line must get better and the pass rush is searching for answers – but it’s Ewers (or perhaps Hudson Card) who will determine Texas’ 2022 fate. Ewers, the No. 2 overall transfer from the 2022 cycle, has long been viewed as a potential program-changing presence. This spring is his first opportunity to showcase that talent.
There are a few caveats, though. First, Ewers is still just 18 years old. He’s going to be listed as a redshirt freshman. But Ewers, like all the other true freshmen early enrollees, will be going through his first spring. There will be an adjustment process. The other part of this is the presence of Card. Texas’ season-opening starter in 2021, Card has an extra year in Steve Sarkisian’s system and is a pretty special physical talent in his own right. The job isn’t just going to automatically fall to Ewers. The battle between Card and Ewers, along with Ewers’ progression, is the storyline of the spring for Texas.
Ewers has some lofty expectations to live up to individually, on top of the fact he has yet to beat out Hudson Card, who surely is looking to redeem himself after letting the job slip through his hands last year.
If Texas has inconsistencies at the quarterback position like they did last year, it could be another underwhelming season and another year of waiting to be back. However, if Ewers can live up to the hype surrounding him, this team may finally change the trajectory of the program.