Former Alabama football offensive coordinator and Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian recently named highly touted quarterback Quinn Ewers his starter for the 2022 season. Perhaps he should have gone with the slightly more experienced option in Hudson Card.
Ewers was the top player in the 2021 class, and was one of the highest rated quarterback recruits of all time out of Southlake, Texas. He committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes and signed a massive NIL deal, but never took a snap in Columbus.
The talented signal caller will take his first collegiate snap on September 3rd against UL Monroe. One week later, the Crimson Tide will roll into Austin.
This will be an early test for Ewers, and it won’t be an easy one. It may even be unfair. Alabama football should have a stout defense and a relentless pass rush.
Ewers will be surrounded by some of the best skill players in college football, namely All-American running back Bijan Robinson and receiver Xavier Worthy, who leads a horde of gifted pass catchers. The question will be whether Ewers even has time to get his playmakers the ball.
Will Anderson Jr. and company will be in hot pursuit from the game’s first snap, and the Texas offensive line was absolutely porous last season. Although they brought in an impressive recruiting haul on the offensive line, true freshmen may be useless against the battle-tested Bama front.
To further complicate matters, the Texas offense is already a little hamstrung before even getting out of fall camp.
Alabama football fans have been anxious about numerous injuries thus far, but the Crimson Tide have been fortunate to avoid the catastrophes that have befallen Texas.
Isaiah Neyor, a transfer wide receiver who was projected to be one of Ewers’ top targets, is out for the season with a knee injury. Alabama transfer Agiye Hall, another wide receiver, was suspended indefinitely after being arrested by UTPD on a misdemeanor charge.
The most detrimental loss for Texas may be Junior Angilau, who was perhaps the most experienced offensive lineman on the roster. Angilau is also out for the season, which means Texas may be starting multiple true freshmen along the offensive line. Running back Roschon Johnson, the most physical of Texas’ backs, also suffered a minor injury. Johnson is said to be the best in pass protection of the Longhorn running backs.
If he cannot suit up on September 10th, the losses of Johnson and Angilau would be devastating blows to a Texas offense that will need every ounce of pass protection it can muster. The Horns would do well just to keep Ewers out of the training room against the Alabama defense.
It must be noted that Ewers’ senior season of high school football was canceled due to the pandemic. When you factor in his season at Ohio State, Ewers hasn’t taken a game snap in nearly three years.
While he does get a tune-up game against the Warhawks, facing Alabama in his second collegiate game is hardly an ideal situation.