Texas QB Ewers does not start at Texas Tech

Redshirt senior Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers - the best quarter we saw this year, albeit briefly -- will be in uniform for the No. 22 Longhorns this week as they travel to face Texas Tech in the Big 12 opener for both teams, coach Steve Sarkisian said.

The game is on ESPN at 3:30 Eastern Time.

Update. False alarm.

 Early Saturday afternoon, Sarkisian finally named Hudson Card as the starter against Tech, as Ewers didn't appear ready, and Wright will most likely be the second option should Card go down during the game.

Ewers' return to uniform would have been two weeks after suffered an SC joint sprain in the first quarter of a dramatically closs loss against No. 2 Alabama.

Ewers went down for an extended period of time after a late tackle by Crimson Tide linebacker Dallas Turner. Early reports had Ewers out potentially as much as six weeks; however, the prognosis has steadily improved since the injury. The Statesman reported that Ewers, who was on the field during warm-ups Saturday prior to the Longhorns' game with UTSA, will be back "far sooner than people expect."

Texas fans are anxious to see Ewers play again. The Southlake (Texas) Carroll product had an unbelievable first quarter against Alabama, completing 9 of 12 passes for 134 yards passing before the injury. If not for a brutal 35-yard drop by receiver Xavier Worthy in the end zone, his numbers would have been even more impressive. 

Card was inconsistent for the Longhorns in the 41-20 win over UTSA. He completed 15 of 23 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown, but struggled to boast the kind of explosive playmaking that Ewers flashed in his first two starts. 

Texas opens Big 12 play against Texas Tech at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, the first trip to Lubbock for Sarkisian. Ironically, Texas Tech reportedly made a strong pitch to Ewers during his transfer recruiting process that included feedback from NFL star Patrick Mahomes, but the former No. 1 recruit ultimately opted to join the flagship program in Austin instead. 

So, while we are on the  subject, one must wonder what the quarterback room will be like in Texas for the next couple of years. A high school kid named Arch Manning --  the top rated prep quarterback in the country -- is due to join the Longhorns next year. That would be Ewers redshirts sophomore year. If things go according to Sarkisian's dreams, Ewers can start one year and then probably go to the NFL and leave the job to that Manning kid.