Texas Head Coach Answers if Starting Quarterback Will Return Against West Virginia

Morgantown, West Virginia – Quinn Ewers, who was the #1 ranked overall recruit last year, was the starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns to open the season. In the first half of the Longhorns’ second game of the season against Alabama, Ewers was injured and suffered a strained clavicle. At the time, Ewers was expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

Ewers, who was spectacular in the first half against Alabama going 9/12 for 134 yards before being injured, has made progress and even dressed and was named the co-starter last week for the Longhorns.

However, it appears that Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is not ready to name Ewers the starter for the game on Saturday against the Mountaineers.

“He’s been throwing now for about two to two and a half weeks and has gradually improved,” Sarkisian said. “Again, there’s a safety element to this thing.”

Sarkisian continued: “Ewers wants to play and I like the progress that he’s made since his injury versus Alabama.”

When asked directly whether he would start this week against West Virginia, Sarkisian responded by saying, “That’s a valid question. I understand it. But I’m not going to tell you, no.”

Sarkisian is very much on the hot seat after a 2-2 start to the season and many within the Texas fanbase consider this game a “must-win” for the team if he wants to remain the head coach of the team. Whether that will play a part in his quarterback decision for this game remains unknown.

Hudson Card, a sophomore quarterback from Austin, Texas, has replaced Ewers as the starting quarterback for the past two weeks. Card is 53/80 for 620 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception on the season.