FOX Sports college football analyst RJ Young is defending Quinn Ewers against critics who blame the quarterback for Texas’ playoff struggles.
Young argues that Ewers actually saved the Texas program and made it possible to recruit future star Arch Manning. Without Ewers’ success, Texas would never have landed the top recruit in the country.
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Young directly contradicts the narrative that Ewers was “holding Texas back.”
“I would actually say to you: Quinn Ewers is the man who allows for what was once a joke to be absolutely true in three words… Texas is back,” Young said.
Young’s argument is simple but powerful. When Ewers transferred from Ohio State to Texas in 2022, the Longhorns were coming off a terrible 5-7 season under Steve Sarkisian. The program was struggling and had lost credibility on the national stage. Many fans and analysts questioned whether Texas could ever return to prominence.
But Ewers changed everything. The former five-star recruit immediately elevated the program’s performance and reputation. He led Texas to back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances and helped the team win its first Big 12 championship since 2009. His success restored national confidence in the Texas program.
“I don’t think they land Arch Manning if he doesn’t come to Texas and succeed,” Young states emphatically in his video.
This is the heart of Young’s defense of Ewers. Without the quarterback’s leadership and on-field success, Texas would not have been attractive enough to land Arch Manning, the number-one overall recruit in the 2023 class.
Young points out that Ewers transformed Texas from “a five-win team” to “an eight-win team” in his first year, then took the program even higher. The analyst notes that Ewers “took Texas to Tuscaloosa and got a 10-point win against Nick Saban’s Alabama” and helped the team reach the College Football Playoff semifinal.
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The connection between Ewers and Manning’s recruitment is crucial. Manning committed to Texas in June 2022, after Ewers had already transferred and begun rebuilding the program’s reputation. Young argues that this timing was not coincidental, as Manning saw a program on the rise because of Ewers’ impact.
Young believes that critics are missing the bigger picture. Instead of blaming Ewers for playoff struggles, they should credit him for making those playoff opportunities possible in the first place.
“Texas is back because they well and truly are,” Young concludes, giving Ewers the credit for making that statement a reality rather than a punchline.