Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers says he's returning for another season: 'I'm coming back'

QB1 isn't done.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers announced on Thursday that he will return for the 2024 football season. Ewers has served as the Longhorns' starting quarterback for the past two years.

In a video that was posted on his social media platforms, Ewers said that "ever since I was a kid, I've dreamed of playing quarterback at the University of Texas. I couldn't be more thankful to all my teammates and coaches, and I'm beyond grateful to be in the position that I'm in. God has shown me who I truly am these past two years that I've been here. And through the ups and downs these fans and this university has always had my back. With that being said ... I'm coming back."

After transferring to Texas in 2022 following a one-year stay at Ohio State, Ewers has thrown for 5,656 yards and 37 touchdowns. He ranks eighth in career passing yards at Texas and seventh in career touchdown passes, and he could conceivably pass Major Applewhite's third-place totals of 8,353 yards and 60 touchdown passes during the 2024 season.

Ewers was viewed as a first-round pick in several mock drafts ahead of the 2023 season, but that hype has since cooled off a little. Pro Football Focus ranks him as the No. 7 quarterback in the current draft class and the 61st-best prospect.

One explanation for the drop in stock? Injuries. Ewers missed three games during the 2022 season with a sprained clavicle and a shoulder sprain sidelined him for two games in 2023.

But when healthy, Ewers has marveled at times. He threw for four touchdowns as Texas blasted rival Oklahoma during a 2022 meeting at the Cotton Bowl. His 349 passing yards and three touchdowns guided Texas to a signature win at Alabama this past September. While earning most outstanding player honors in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 2, he threw for 452 yards — the third-most in school history — and four touchdowns.

In addition to a Big 12 championship, Ewers led Texas to a 12-2 record and its first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff. Although he was outshined by Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., in the national semifinals, he finished with 318 passing yards in a 37-31 loss at the Sugar Bowl. Ewers helped Texas stage a late rally in that game, but UT's championship hopes ended when his last-second pass into the end zone fell incomplete.

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In the postgame press conference, Ewers was asked if he could see the Longhorns returning to the Sugar Bowl next season as a representative of the SEC. His answer gave an answer that foreshadowed Thursday's announcement:

"I'm a human being and I understand what's ahead. But at the same time, there's a long ways in between here and a year from now. A lot can happen in 365 days," Ewers said. "But I know that we're going to work as hard as we can to try to be back. And that's all we can really do, is attack the offseason the right way and just continue to build this team to what it's capable of being."

Although Texas coach Steve Sarkisian preaches competition among his position groups, Texas will head into spring football with an established pecking order at quarterback. Ewers has started 22 times and former five-star signee Arch Manning will be his presumed backup. Trey Owens, a four-star member of the 2024 recruiting class, will enroll early and go through spring drills at Texas.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Quinn Ewers returning as Texas football QB for 2024 season in SEC