Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday that quarterback Quinn Ewers returned to practice during the top-ranked Longhorns' bye week and that he feels good about the veteran's availability for Saturday's Red River Rivalry showdown against No. 18 Oklahoma. This comes a week after Horns247 reported that Ewers is on track to take the field against the Sooners.
"I thought he looked good coming off the bye. I think if anybody benefitted from the time off, it was probably him," Sarkisian said during his weekly press conference. "We're going to monitor him daily just to kind of see how he continues to progress. But I feel good about how he was today. I feel good about him going into Saturday, but that remains to be seen."
Sarkisian also noted that if Texas had a game Monday, Ewers would be listed as the starter.
Ewers exited Texas' Week 3 win against UTSA with an abdominal strain and has not suited up since. Prior to the setback, Ewers entered the Heisman Trophy conversation by throwing for 691 yards and eight touchdowns in less than three games of action.
He completed 66.7% of his passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns in Texas' huge early season win on the road against then top-10 Michigan. Texas backup quarterback Arch Manning earned the first two starts of his career in Ewers' stead, leading the Longhorns to a 2-0 record in that span.
Ewers' potential return is still big for a Texas team with national championship upside. Saturday will be one of Texas' biggest remaining tests, and it also offers Ewers an opportunity to get revenge after he threw two interceptions in a 34-30 upset loss against Oklahoma in 2023. Ewers is 1-1 against the Sooners as a starter with five touchdowns to three interceptions.
