Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers reveals small leadership tactic anyone can use to strengthen team bond
It’s simple, really. Upperclassmen shouldn’t be afraid to reach out to younger players and tell them “good job.”
Not every leader is boisterous and always demands attention. Quinn Ewers isn’t like that.
The veteran quarterback has developed his own style in leading Texas through the Big 12, SEC and now back-to-back trips to the College Football Playoffs.
During a conference call with reporters Saturday, Ewers was asked numerous questions about the upcoming Peach Bowl against Arizona State. But his answer about a backup offensive lineman revealed more about Ewers’ leadership and character than anything else.
Asked how he could help redshirt freshman Trevor Goosby, the third-year starter focused on one character trait: just be supportive.
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“What I’ve noticed is just the smaller things,” Ewers said. “It could be as simple as a high five or a knuckle bump or just telling them, ‘Hey, good job there. Good job. Pass protection. You're doing a heck of a job out there.’
“I think that goes a lot of a long way for young guys, because I know for sure when I was young, that would help me a whole lot. Just as simple as that.
“If an older guy and a leader of the team came up to me and just told me I was doing a good job,” Ewers added, “I go, ‘All right, now settle in here a little bit and kind of get into that flow state.’”
Ewers would know best. He was the brash, hot-shot, five-star quarterback prospect out of Southlake Carroll. When he first went to Ohio State, he was treated for what he was — a brand-new freshman. The Buckeyes didn’t need the bleach-blonde Ewers, as they had C.J. Stroud, a two-time Heisman finalist.
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Still, Ewers was far from home, a stranger in a strange land. Having any supportive veteran tell a freshman “good job” probably means the world to a young player.
That’s also why Ewers has been supportive of backup quarterback Arch Manning, a player learning how to swim around in his own UT fishbowl.
Asked Saturday if Manning has progressed to take over the job in 2025, Ewers said, “Yeah, I think over the past two years, he's definitely grown and matured, for sure to be able to be successful at Texas.”
Multiple players have spoken in glowing terms about Ewers’ leadership throughout the season. Sure, some outsiders want Manning to take the controls, but the Longhorns in the locker room want Ewers.
Asked what he needs to do to have success against Arizona State, Ewers kept it short and sweet.
“I think I just need to be a good leader through the adversity, because adversity is going to strike,” Ewers said. “And take care of the football.”
