Report:Texas Longhorns key player will not return…

admin | December 19, 2023 | Texas Longhorns | No Comments

Coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns provides an update on the injuries of DJ Campbell, Xavier Worthy, and Ja’Tavion Sanders. Steve Sarkisian, the coach of the Texas Longhorns, provided a few important players with a positive, healthy update prior to Texas Tech.

After a spirited victory over the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday night, the Texas Longhorns are now just one win away from the Big 12 Championship.

But the victory was not without a price, as several important Longhorns players were hurt, including starters DJ Campbell, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and Xavier Worthy.

All things considered, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian’s update on those injuries on Monday during his weekly press conference was as good as Longhorns fans could hope for.

He actually anticipates having all three of those players available for Friday night’s game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

“Saturday night’s game was really physical. Many of our guys were eliminated,” Sarkisian remarked. None of those guys are going to be out on Friday, in my opinion. I’m confident enough today that everyone who was available on Saturday night will be available on Friday night, but we’ll still need to keep an eye on that throughout the week.”

Worthy’s injury on Saturday may have been the most prominent for the Horns; he left the game during the second half and was reportedly ‘unable to put weight’ on his injured leg.

Worthy finished the game with four catches for 77 yards on eight targets.

Due to a lower-body injury, Campbell was also knocked out of the game and did not come back. Cole Hutson, a former starter, took his place in the starting lineup.

In the meantime, Sanders was able to play again during the match. Even though he only had two receptions for 32 yards in the end, he was crucial to the run game and helped set the stage for C.J. Baxter to have a huge evening.

Quinn Ewers, the quarterback for the Texas Longhorns, is ‘likely’ to return in 2024.
Quinn Ewers might confirm his first-round draft status if he has a breakthrough season in 2024.

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After Saturday’s Big 12 championship, Quinn Ewers may decide to turn pro, but insider information indicates that a return to the Forty Acres is more likely.

ESPN reports that Ewers is considering playing college football one more season rather than entering the 2024 NFL Draft. In 2022, the redshirt sophomore transferred to Texas after attending Ohio State for one season.

With a victory over No. 18 Oklahoma State on Saturday, Ewers, who will make his 21st career start for the No. 7 Longhorns (11-1, 8-1 Big 12), could lead the team to its first conference title since 2009. Additionally, Texas still has a chance to advance to the College Football Playoff, based on how the ACC and SEC championship games turn out.

Fourth No. In the ACC title game in Charlotte, North Carolina, Florida State will play No. 15 Louisville. Backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker may not play due to a head injury he sustained against Florida. In the SEC matchup between the two dominant programs, No. 1 Georgia will travel to Atlanta to take on No. 8 Alabama.

ESPN reports that Ewers’ camp believes he would be better positioned for long-term success in the NFL with another year of development. Ewers was a preseason first-round pick, but injury worries have hurt his draft value.

Ewers missed three games last season due to a sprained SC joint in his right shoulder. He suffered a grade 2 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder during the Longhorns’ victory over Houston this season, which caused him to miss two games.

Rather than finishing his senior year of high school at Southlake Carroll in the Dallas area, Ewers made the decision to enroll in college early and chose Ohio State in 2021. He played sparingly behind two-time Heisman finalist and eventual first-round selection C.J. Stroud while learning the college offense, seeing only four snaps in two games.

Ewers made the decision to move after the season. He defeated Hudson Card to win the starting job at Texas in 2022, but he is still five games short of 25 starts—a requirement for NFL success for college quarterbacks.

Ewers performed admirably in the Longhorns’ last Big 12 season, despite missing two games. With a conference-high 69.8 percent completion percentage, he threw for 2,709 yards and 17 touchdowns against just five interceptions. Additionally, Ewers recorded four 300-yard passing games, the best of which was a 349-yard, three-touchdown performance in Tuscaloosa against then-No. 3 Alabama.

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Although Ewers may lose talented players to the NFL, such as tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders and receivers Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell, early signs point to Texas being in the running for a number of prominent pass catchers this offseason through the portal. These include Juice Wells of South Carolina, Deion Burks of Purdue, Winston Wright Jr. of Florida State, and Caullin Lacy of South Alabama.

Evan Stewart, a receiver for Texas A&M, is reportedly interested in joining the Longhorns should he sign with the portal.

Going back to Austin might be advantageous for both parties. At best, Ewers would be the third quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, behind Drake Maye of North Carolina and Caleb Williams of USC. Additionally, he might lag behind players like Michael Penix Jr. of Washington, Oregon’s Bo Nix, and LSU’s Jayden Daniels.

If he were to return for the 2024 season, Oklahoma and the Longhorns would have a seasoned quarterback with offensive experience as they move from the Big 12 to the SEC. If Ewers has a successful year in the SEC, his status as a first-round pick could be assured.