No. 1 Texas coach Steve Sarkisian announces that Quinn Ewers will start vs. No. 19 Oklahoma

It’s official. Quinn Ewers is back.

No. 1 Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday that his senior quarterback would return to the starting lineup against No. 19 Oklahoma on Saturday. Ewers has missed more than two games since leaving Texas’ Week 3 win over UTSA in the first half with a strained abdomen.

Sarkisian’s announcement isn’t much of a surprise. Ewers was reportedly on track to start this week after Texas was off in Week 6 and he was listed as probable on Wednesday’s injury report from the school. The Longhorns enter the game as 13.5-point favorites over a Sooners team that is missing at least four of its top receivers.

Arch Manning took over for Ewers against UTSA and rushed for a TD while throwing for four more. He wasn’t as electric in his two starts against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State, but still was more than competent as the Longhorns moved to 5-0.

Texas moved up to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 on Sunday thanks to Alabama’s loss at Vanderbilt. The Longhorns stayed ahead of Ohio State despite the Buckeyes’ big home win over Iowa.

Ewers is 58-of-79 passing through two-plus games this season and has thrown for 691 yards and eight TDs to just two interceptions. His early season stats are in line with his production from a season ago, when Texas won the Big 12 and made the College Football Playoff for the first time. Ewers had the opportunity to head to the 2024 NFL Draft, but announced after the season that he would return for a third season in Austin after transferring from Ohio State.

After playing Oklahoma in Dallas on Saturday, Texas hosts No. 5 Georgia in Week 8 before a trip to Vanderbilt to close out October.