Quinn Ewers’ ankle injury creates mystery for Longhorns with healthy Arch Manning standing ready against Aggies
Ewers listed as probable on SEC availability report but is he truly healthy?
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is likely to start Saturday against Texas A&M. But Arch Manning better stay ready.
Ewers was listed as probable on the SEC availability reports this week after suffering an ankle injury against Kentucky after a hip drop tackle.
Thanksgiving week has helped Ewers and coach Steve Sarkisian with reporters keep the situation under wraps. Ewers did not attend Monday’s lone UT news conference of the week. The Horns didn’t practice until Monday afternoon, so Sarkisian could effectively stiff-arm questions about Ewers’ health as he hadn’t seen him practice yet.
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But there was no media availability the rest of the week. The SEC coaches teleconference, which happened throughout the season, ended last week. Sarkisian’s normal Thursday Zoom call with reporters was scrapped because of the holiday.
“One source close to the situation said Ewers’ ankle sprain wasn’t progressing as quickly as initially hoped,” Horns247 reported. “That source said there’s obviously still time for the ankle to respond to treatment before Saturday.”
Ewers is going to do everything possible to start and play the entire game against the Aggies, of course. He grew up wanting to be a Longhorn. Now, here’s a chance for Ewers to clinch a spot in the SEC championship game while knocking the Aggies completely out of the College Football Playoff picture.
Safe to assume that Ewers won’t be 100%. That means Manning needs to stay at the ready.
Manning played 2 1/2 games in September when Ewers suffered a strained abdominal injury against UTSA. He also had a spot appearance in the second quarter against Georgia as everything was going haywire.
Manning completed 68% of his passes for 939 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions this season. He threw the longest pass of the season, a 75-yard touchdown to Isaiah Bond, and ran for the longest play, too. Manning took off and dazzling everyone with a 67-yard touchdown run against UTSA. That play alone sent the hype machine into overdrive.
Still, Sarkisian maintained this was Ewers’ team and the junior returned to the starting position against Oklahoma when he was healthy again. This season, Ewers has completed 68% of his passes for 2,089 yards with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions.
