AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers scored five touchdowns on rushes last season, and as it looks now with two running backs lost for the season with injuries, he might have to punch a few more runs across the goal line.
Sophomore CJ Baxter and freshman Christian Clark suffered season-ending knee injuries within a week of each other during training camp, so Ewers might have to use his legs a bit more than the 59 carries he had last season. He said he’s OK with that.
“First off, it hurts to see those guys go down. Injuries are part of the game we play and it sucks to see that,” Ewers said. “I’m trying to do whatever I can to help this team win football games, and if that means I have to run the ball more, then so be it.”
Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has lauded Ewers’ maturation process as a leader over the past two seasons, especially heading into this one. Ewers is getting more comfortable as a vocal leader and providing a much-needed guiding voice during the current state of the backfield.
“The team definitely needs positivity when a couple of guys like that go down,” Ewers said. “At the end of the day, I think we’re going to have the guys who are more than capable of stepping in and filling those roles.”
Ewers said it’s a lot easier for him to be that voice in the locker room now, too. In the era of the transfer portal, there aren’t a lot of players who can say they’re a third-year starter at any position, let alone quarterback.
“I’ve got a lot of playing time under my belt and experience, so I can share that with the younger guys,” he said. “I’m an older guy now and it feels like I was just the new guy.”