Quinn Ewers Named Starting QB over Arch Manning for Texas vs. Oklahoma Rivalry Game

After missing the last two games with an oblique injury, quarterback Quinn Ewers is set to make his return for No. 1 Texas in one of the biggest games of the year.

Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters on Thursday that Ewers will be the starter for Saturday's Red River Rivalry game against No. 18 Oklahoma. Sophomore Arch Manning had started the last two games in his absence and helped lead Texas to back-to-back wins.

Sarkisian announced on Monday that Ewers was on track to return in Saturday's matchup against the Sooners. He had participated in practice during the Longhorns' bye week last week and continued over the last few days as the team prepared for its rivalry showdown.

During Ewers' absence, Manning impressed in wins over UL Monroe and Mississippi State. The nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning showed that quarterbacking runs in the family, throwing for 901 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 70.5 percent of his passes this season. He's also added three rushing scores, tied for second on the team.

Ewers was off to a strong start to the 2024 campaign before the oblique injury forced him to exit early from a Week 3 win over UTSA. The junior signal-caller completed 73.4 percent of his throws for 691 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions.

Returning against Oklahoma will give Ewers the chance to erase last year's lackluster performance in the Red River Rivalry game where he threw two interceptions and was sacked five times as Texas suffered a 34-30 loss.

Ewers and the Longhorns will certainly be motivated to maintain their status as the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 and continue establishing themselves as a favorite to win the national championship this year.