Steve Sarkisian Defends Texas QB Quinn Ewers Against Critics: “What Are We Doing?”
Steve Sarkisian is fiercely defending Quinn Ewers, one of the best quarterbacks in Texas Longhorns history, in response to ongoing criticism.
Sarkisian’s first season at Texas ended with a 5-7 record, but everything changed when Ewers arrived. Over the next three years, the Longhorns program was revitalized under the combination of Sarkisian’s leadership and Ewers’ talent. The team reached back-to-back conference championship games, making history with Ewers as the first Texas QB to do so, and also made two consecutive College Football Playoff Semifinals.
During that stretch, Ewers amassed 9,128 passing yards, 68 touchdowns, and completed 65% of his passes, averaging 253.6 yards per game. He finished his career with a 27-9 record as a starter and only one true road loss, going 11-1 on the road.
These stats place Ewers among the elite in Texas football history, ranking behind only Colt McCoy and Sam Ehlinger in passing yards and touchdowns, and trailing only McCoy, Vince Young, and Bobby Layne in career wins.
Despite his impressive achievements, Ewers faced constant criticism, both for his on-field performance and his decision to turn pro. Sarkisian, however, is tired of the negativity and took the opportunity to address it during an interview with Josh Pate of 247Sports.
“I don’t get it. Everybody has an opinion on a kid who leaves a school for more money,” Sarkisian said. “But here’s Quinn Ewers, a guy who decided not to transfer and take the money, but instead stayed at Texas and focused on fulfilling his NFL dreams. Now those same critics are saying, ‘How could he not go take that money?’ It’s a bit much.”
Sarkisian went on to question why people feel entitled to criticize Ewers for making a decision about his future when he has always given everything to the Texas program. He pointed out the inconsistency of the criticism: “Which one is it? Are we supposed to criticize him for not chasing the money, or for not staying and fulfilling his dream?”
After the 2024 season, Ewers had two paths ahead of him: enter the transfer portal and pursue a potentially lucrative final college season, or take a pay cut, focus on his childhood dream of playing in the NFL, and finish his career at Texas. He chose the latter.
Ewers’ legacy at Texas is secure as the quarterback who helped restore the program to national relevance, with a statistical career that ranks among the best in Longhorns history.
Sarkisian will never forget Ewers’ impact: “Quinn Ewers came to Texas when we were a 5-7 team. We owe a lot to him. He started for three years, played through injuries, and led us to two College Football Playoffs, a Big 12 Championship, and an SEC Championship game in our first year in the conference. That’s his legacy.”
Sarkisian added that Ewers’ legacy is even bigger than just those accomplishments: “If Quinn doesn’t come here, I’m not sure the next five guys would come. And if those guys don’t come, I’m not sure the next 10 would either.”
Now in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, Ewers has the opportunity to continue building on his legacy and prove himself in a system that seems ideal for his skill set and development.
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