Quinn Ewers suffered a shoulder injury in the third quarter of Texas' Week 8 game against Houston. The quarterback left the game in the third quarter after being sacked by Cougars edge rusher David Ugwoegbu and eventually returned to the sideline with his right arm in a sling.
Fears that Ewers sustained a serious injury were confirmed Sunday night. The sophomore was diagnosed with an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, according to Rivals.com's Anwar Richardson. Though an exact recovery timetable wasn't announced, Ewers is expected to be out for several weeks. But he could return this season.
The Longhorns have five games remaining on their 2023 schedule and will likely play in the Big 12 championship game. Another one or two games could be played if Texas qualifies for the College Football Playoff. If not, the Longhorns will go to a bowl game.
According to sources, Texas QB Quinn Ewers sustained an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder against Houston. The injury occurred on a sack. There is optimism he will play again this season. As of Sunday night, there is no timetable for his return. Should learn more this week
— Anwar Richardson (@AnwarRichardson) October 23, 2023
During the week leading up to Week 9's home matchup with BYU, the question will be who starts in Ewers's place? Redshirt freshman Maalik Murphy has been No. 2 on the Texas quarterback depth chart up until this point. He took over when Ewers was knocked out of the Houston game.
But fans and media will be eager to see if coach Steve Sarkisian opts for superstar freshman Arch Manning. Big expectations followed Peyton and Eli's nephew to Austin, and Ewers's injury could present the opportunity to take the starting QB job. However, even if Manning doesn't start against BYU, it's possible that Sarkisian will try to get him some snaps. If Murphy starts and plays poorly, the noise for Manning will get louder.
