DALLAS Ƶ Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian, if you havenƵt noticed, is busy, surely too preoccupied amid his teamƵs College Football Playoff run for a one-on-one phone interview.
Somehow, though, Sarkisian between team meetings and broader media obligations found a few minutes to talk, anyway, seemingly because heƵd been told The Dallas Morning News wanted to inquire about one of his favorite topics.
Quarterbacks. Plural, in TexasƵ case.
Specifically, how has Sarkisian and his staff, in four years, built a culture that has positioned Texas to become college footballƵs latest Quarterback U Ƶ if it isnƵt already?
The Longhorns (13-2) will come to AT&T Stadium for next FridayƵs Goodyear Cotton Bowl clash against Ohio State (12-2) armed with inarguably the best quarterback tandem of not just the four CFP semifinalists, but all 134 Football Bowl Subdivision schools.
Southlake Carroll product Quinn Ewers was the nationƵs No. 1 Class of 2021 quarterback recruit. His Longhorn backup Arch Manning was No. 1 in 2023. How has Texas not only lured, but so far kept both during this volatile name, image and likeness and transfer-portal era?
ƵOne of the things we do is be ourselves,Ƶ Sarkisian said. ƵWe believe in relationships. We believe in connection with all of our players, but most notably the quarterback.
ƵI think when youƵre authentic and real and honest and you start forging that relationship, it lessens that barrier between coach and player and allows a relationship to form.Ƶ
It certainly helps that Sarkisian, 50, was a standout quarterback at BYU and has one of college footballƵs most innovative offensive minds.
The Sarkisian-Ewers relationship, in particular, was on vivid display during TexasƵ CFP wins over Clemson and Arizona State and is an integral part of the 89th Cotton BowlƵs most notable subplot.
Ohio State, after all, is the school and coach from which Ewers transferred to Texas on Dec. 12, 2021, after one season of backing up C.J. Stroud for the Buckeyes.
ƵHe decided he wanted to play [right away],Ƶ Ohio State coach Ryan Day recalled Friday during a Cotton Bowl media conference call. ƵIt was disappointing for us, but we certainly understood.Ƶ
EwersƵ decision to transfer was, in a sense, a full-circle moment. Before his junior season at Carroll, in the summer of 2020, he had committed to Texas, his lifelong favorite school, only to decommit and flip to Ohio State three months later as UTƵs Tom Herman Era soured.
At Ohio State, where he became the first college athlete to earn more than $1 million in NIL money, Ewers took only two snaps, both handoffs against Michigan State.
Bolting back to Texas wasnƵt without risk. The Longhorns had just finished 5-7 in SarkisianƵs first season of succeeding Herman Ƶ who from 2011-14 had been Urban MeyerƵs offensive coordinator and quarterback guru at Ohio State.
Sarkisian and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach A.J. Milwee were able to woo Ewers back to Austin, all the while recruiting Manning starting in Jan. 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Day and Ohio State? Since StroudƵs 2022 departure to the NFLƵs Houston Texans, the Buckeyes have cycled through quarterbacks Kyle McCord, Devin Brown and this seasonƵs 23-year-old starter, Will Howard, who played his first four college seasons at Kansas State.
Day, embattled entering this CFP run due to his 1-4 record against Michigan, almost certainly has wondered what might have been, recalling Friday how he first offered Ewers a scholarship when he was an eighth grader at Ohio StateƵs summer camp.
ƵFrom afar IƵve watched him and heƵs got a lot of talent,Ƶ Day said. ƵHeƵs a really good player. He comes from a great family and heƵs had a great career at Texas. A lot of people here still have good relationships with him. And think the world of him.Ƶ
The four intangibles
While reporters and Texas fans speculate whether 21-year-old Ewers will enter the NFL draft or the transfer portal for a reported $6 million NIL payday, all other FBS schools would love to have the LonghornsƵ ƵproblemƵ of having 19-year-old, eminently pedigreed Manning in the wings.
There are multiple reasons Texas is the only school that made last yearƵs four-team CFP playoff and this seasonƵs 12-team version, but none bigger than the foundation thatƵs been built at quarterback.
When Ewers suffered an oblique strain early in the second quarter of this seasonƵs third game, against UTSA, Manning almost seamlessly stepped in to finish that win and lead blowout victories over Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State.
In the programƵs bigger picture, Texas has non-binding oral commitments from Class of 2025 No. 15-ranked quarterback KJ Lacey and 2026Ƶs No. 3 quarterback Dia Bell.
So, theoretically TexasƵ foreseeable quarterback future appears bright, though Sarkisian told The News that rankings arenƵt among the ingredients the program looks for in quarterbacks.
Sarkisian cited four intangibles above others.
ƵOne, is he a true competitor? I think so many teams when people go to evaluate quarterbacks, they look at height, arm strength, size, speed,Ƶ Sarkisian said. ƵAnd one of the things we really dive into is ƵDoes he have that innate, true competitor inside of him?Ƶ
ƵSometimes you can see that watching the tape. Sometimes you have to go watch him play in person. Sometimes you watch him at practice. Sometimes you go watch him play another sport: basketball, baseball. Sometimes itƵs just being around him and listening to him talk.Ƶ
Ewers is not fiery in an outward sense, on or off the field. Sarkisian, though, cites EwersƵ knack for rising in big moments, none more pressure-filled than the Peach Bowl, when Texas faced fourth-and-13 and a 31-24 first-overtime deficit against Arizona State.
Ewers, playing in his 35th career game and facing perhaps the final play of his college career, checked into max protection at the line of scrimmage, anticipated a seemingly covered Matthew Golden breaking open and threw a 28-yard touchdown strike.
Which brings us to the second quarterback intangible that Sarkisian values.
ƵThey have to have natural leadership skills,Ƶ he said. ƵAnd when I say that I mean, ƵDo they make the other guys around them believe?Ƶ ThatƵs something a quarterback has to have; it doesnƵt matter at what level.
ƵDo they instill belief in the organization, in their teammates and coaches, in the staff, in the fan base, that when he takes the field weƵre gonna be OK. That then lends itself to the leadership aspect, that when they speak, when they act, people respond.Ƶ
The third intangible?
ƵResiliency,Ƶ Sarkisian said. ƵPlaying quarterback is not perfect. You have ups and downs, but how you respond to adversity at quarterback, I think, is really critical.Ƶ
For instance, when your team watches a 24-8 Peach Bowl lead crumble into an overtime deficit and you respond with touchdown passes on consecutive overtime plays.
ƵI just try to be that calm within the storm for all the guys,Ƶ Ewers said. ƵAnd I think my relationship with Jesus Christ has helped me in that specific way, of knowing that no matter whatever happens HeƵs going to be there for me; HeƵs going to love me.
ƵThatƵs the reality of it.Ƶ
SarkisianƵs fourth intangible?
ƵDo you throw a catchable ball? When you throw passes, are they complete, or are you a guy who has a lot of drops?Ƶ
A natural rapport
In Sept. 2022, The News traveled to New Orleans to feature high-profile Longhorn commit Manning, who at the time was early in his senior season at Isidore Newman School, where his uncles Peyton and Eli starred at quarterback, as did ArchƵs father Cooper at receiver.
Cooper Manning and Isidore Newman coach Nelson Stewart remarked about the organic way Sarkisian and Longhorns quarterback coach Milwee forged a connection with Arch.
Milwee, now 38, had been an offensive analyst at Alabama in 2019-20, coinciding with SarkisianƵs stint as Nick SabanƵs offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Stewart marveled that Milwee could watch a 10-second video clip of Arch and offer verbal notes about his footwork, body lean, route reads and release.
ƵHe understands how Arch learns,Ƶ Stewart said. ƵArch is very detailed. So is A.J. TheyƵre practically the same person; both humble.Ƶ
Because of COVID-19, the first time Manning and Stewart spoke Ƶface-to-faceƵ with Sarkisian and Milwee was via Zoom call.
ƵI turned on the Zoom and IƵm looking at A.J. for the first time and he said, ƵHey, how are we doing?ƵƵ Stewart recalled. ƵAnd then Sark came on and you just saw him and Arch [relate] right away. It was like, ƵBam.Ƶ Ƶ
Perhaps the natural rapport helps explain why Manning, in his words and from all appearances, has steadfastly maintained his commitment to the Longhorn program.
It remains to be seen whether Ewers-Manning will be reminiscent of the Vince Young-Colt McCoy succession, which resulted in the 2005 national championship and 2009 title game berth, but with Texas in its second straight CFP semifinal, the dream isnƵt hard to visualize.
Bigger picture, might Texas be able to sustain a longer Quarterback U legacy, like Purdue, Stanford, Miami and more recently Oklahoma and Alabama have done through the decades?
Sarkisian already has a blueprint. After all, he was part of BYUƵs 1970s-through-1990s Quarterback U heyday under coach LaVell Edwards and offensive coordinator Norm Chow.
ƵWhen you think about all those great quarterbacks that have been at BYU Ƶ all the way back to Virgil Carter and Gifford Nielson, to Mark Wilson, Jim McMahon, Steve Young, Robbie Bosco, Ty Detmer and beyond that Ƶ they all had great competitive spirit,Ƶ Sarkisian said.
Sarkisian, a transfer from El Camino Community College, guided the Cougars to finishes of 7-4 in 1995 and 14-1 in 1996, the latter marking the first time an FBS team reached 14 wins.
Sarkisian said Edwards had a way of instilling confidence in his quarterbacks during game weeks, and with his ƵKISSƵ approach Ƶ Keep It Simple, Stupid.
Naturally, Sarkisian didnƵt mention his name among the BYU greats.
ƵThose guys were all tremendous leaders,Ƶ he said. ƵI donƵt know if any of them were the most talented physically. I donƵt know if you went to a combine and said, ƵBoy, heƵs the biggest; heƵs the tallest; heƵs the fastest; heƵs got the greatest arm.
ƵBut they threw catchable balls and they instilled belief in everybody in Provo, Utah. I can tell you that. ThatƵs why they won a bunch of games.Ƶ
As Sarkisian finished the brief phone conversation, voices could be heard in the background. Time to go. Time for another meeting.
Time to prepare for another CFP opponent, starting with quarterback planning. In TexasƵ case, plural.