AUSTIN (KXAN) — With a Longhorn skull belt buckle and polished cowboy boots, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers said his team proved they could compete in the Southeastern Conference while in the Big 12.
Ewers was one of three Longhorn players to make the trip to Dallas for the SEC Football Media Days, and he said Wednesday that going into Bryant-Denny Stadium last year and taking out Alabama sent everyone a message.
"It showed what we're capable of as a whole," he said. "Now we have to really do it on a much more consistent level. Because week in, week out, we're playing a tough opponent."
Ewers was eligible for the NFL Draft earlier this year but opted to return to school largely because he felt like he simply needed more snaps. He said he wants to be as prepared as much as he can in order to be "someone who is remembered."
"I think one of the main things for me was getting more experience under my belt," he said. "I don't want to be a guy that just comes and goes."
Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said Ewers has already left his mark on the program, but this season he's taken an even bigger step with his leadership.
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"This guy is exuding confidence right now. He's carrying himself the right way," Sarkisian said. "He's doing things the right way, not only on the field but off the field. He's our leader, and we can unequivocally say that about Quinn Ewers."
Ewers has evolved into the face of the Longhorns, donning the new EA Sports College Football 25 video game and trading in an unkept mullet for a much cleaner haircut. He made it a point last season to change his eating and workout habits, making a commitment to not just himself but to his team. Those changes paid off in a big way with the Longhorns' first-ever berth in the College Football Playoff.
With Heisman Trophy buzz surrounding Ewers, Sarkisian said he's not worried about any of the outside noise bothering his quarterback.
"I think Quinn is probably like the coolest guy in the room," Sarkisian said. "He doesn't get caught up in what a Heisman -- if you asked him, would he even know? He's just not caught up in that stuff. When Quinn gets free time, he's going to go hunt or he's going to go fish."
Something that could make Ewers even better this season is what Sarkisian called "the deepest receiver corps that we've had in four years." With three transfer wideouts coming in — Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden and Silas Bolden — to go with true freshman Ryan Wingo, Ryan Niblett, Johntay Cook and DeAndre Moore, Ewers will have plenty of options. Throw in tight ends Amari Niblack, Gunnar Helm and Juan Davis along with the running backs who are capable of hauling in passes, and it's almost comical how many guys Ewers has at his disposal.
The Longhorns will get a taste of a SEC-like game early in the season when they head to Ann Arbor, Michigan to face the defending CFP champions Michigan Wolverines in Week 2. Ewers was part of the Buckeyes in 2021 when they played the Wolverines at Michigan Stadium, so he has a little experience to draw from in that regard.
"It's going to be cool to go back up there and see, and now I understand the hatred that Ohio State has for them," he said. "I understand the rivalry."
