Texas football sounds like it can sure get behind a beefier, better Quinn Ewers | Bohls
While I got ya, here are nine things and one crazy prediction:
Could be an even bigger year for Quinn Ewers
1. A bigger, better Ewers: Don’t look now, but Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is new, improved and bigger. His reshaped body, plus about 10 pounds, has transformed him into the complete look of a redefined and solid quarterback. And his coach wants him even bigger. The two-year starter, who improved his completion percentage to 69%, which was up 11%, also threw for 1,300 more yards (3,479) and seven more touchdowns last season and looked outstanding in Tuesday's first spring practice. He connected on deep balls much better than backup Arch Manning. “I think Quinn looks good. I mean, his body,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said after the two-hour workout. “We went from where he was a couple years ago to slim himself all the way down last season to, if you look at him, it looks a little broader.” Sarkisian added he’s hoping Ewers gains even three to five more pounds to his current 204-pound frame to gain more strength. … Freshman Trey Owens, the third-string quarterback, looks even bigger than the statuesque Manning, who stands 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. Owens is listed at 6-5, 236 and looks every bit of that and has a great arm. … Strength and conditioning coach Torre Becton said the 25 newcomers really reported in shape and showed some impressive work ethic. “Stronger and better,” he said. … Texas has a ton of receivers to replace the gifted ones who have left, especially sophomore-to-be Johntay Cook II and Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond, who figures to be the alpha dog. Five-star freshman receiver Ryan Wingo also will be hard to keep off the field as will Houston transfer Matthew Golden. All four of those were fielding punts, too, on Tuesday as were freshmen Parker Livingstone and Aaron Butler. … Freshman edge rusher Colin Simmons, at 6-foot-3 and 234 pounds, looks nothing like a freshman. … Senior linebacker Kendrick Blackshire, another Crimson Tide transfer, has Earl Campbell-sized thighs and is beyond solid.
More: Longhorn Confidential: Newcomers and position battles to watch at Texas this spring
Testing out new NCAA tech
2. Coming in loud and clear: Texas should benefit greatly from an expected new NCAA rule change allowing helmet technology for coaches to better communicate with their players on the field. It’d also stop Michigan from stealing anyone’s signs. Just so happens the Longhorns go to Ann Arbor to play the defending national champions in Week 2. The rule still has to be adopted by the NCAA playing rules oversight panel, but it’s beyond time to incorporate this into the game. The NFL has used the system for quarterbacks since 1994, and defensive players began it in 2014. Many conferences are experimenting with it this spring and some teams tried it out in last season’s bowl games with positive results. Texas used the technology for the first time Tuesday, and Sarkisian raved about the new innovation. “I think having two years of experience of working together and having that dialogue through the headset is going to be beneficial for us,” he said. Sark did say he will have to limit some of the information he delivers to Ewers to avoid giving “too much information” at one time. Asked if the development would allow teams to play faster, Sarkisian agreed and said, “It’s a lot easier to say five words than signal five words.” He added they might have a linebacker or maybe nickel back Jahdae Barron wear the device that's the size of a credit card that fits in the helmet because teams will be allowed to also communicate with a player on defense. The cost is expected to be less than $50,000 per school.
More: In my NCAA Tournament bracket, North Carolina will win it all | Bohls
Not a good look, NCAA Tournament
3. True star power: Whom did Caitlin Clark tick off? I totally understand the uproar of sticking No. 1 seed Iowa in the same regional with No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 and defending champion LSU and No. 4 Kansas State with Sporting News All-American center Ayoka Lee. The bracketing did a disservice not only to the Hawkeyes and top television draw Clark as well as the other three teams. Did the NCAA Tournament selection committee want to kill TV ratings by making it so difficult for Iowa to reach the Final Four? Plus, Clark’s first game is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday, hardly prime-time viewing. This was a stunner. Did you see that ESPN has dedicated reporter supreme Holly Rowe to follow only Clark’s journey every step of the way? That means Clark is box office.
Victor Wembanyama is well on his way
4. Biding his time in San Antonio: Clearly Victor Wembanyama is the real deal, and he brings it with candor and honesty as well. When I asked him the San Antonio Spurs rookie if the NBA's defensive player of the year award is something that holds a lot of appeal for him, the 7-foot-4 forward/center/point guard didn’t shy away from it and was very savvy with his answer. “It’s definitely something I can reach and something I want to get as soon as possible,” Wemby said after leading the Spurs to a split of two games in Austin against Denver and Brooklyn. “It’s something I’m focused on. I’m not at that level yet. I don’t know, we have to have a better record to claim that.” He’s all but conceded the honor to fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert, the 31-year-old three-time DPOY. For now. He recently told a French reporter, “I know that Rudy has a very good chance of winning it this year, and it would be deserved. Let him win it now, because after that it's no longer his turn.” When I asked him further on Sunday, the just-turned 20-year-old Wemby said, “I would say I guard a bigger zone than he does. He guards more in the paint, but we both have our strengths and weaknesses.” … Sarkisian, meanwhile, sat on the baseline and took in the Sunday game at Moody Center. Asked how he’d use the towering Wemby as a football player, he quipped, “Throw him a fade (pass).” … It’d be interesting if the Spurs’ decision to press forward with a bigger presence in the Austin area to expand its fan base intrigued the NBA and opened up the possibility of putting an expansion team in the 512 in the future. Might be really tough because there are already three NBA franchises in this state, all three of which have won championships. I can’t imagine any of them being eager to add a fourth franchise. … Most observers think the Spurs will have to draft expertly well or make a big trade like OKC did with Paul George to get a coveted second and third wheel for Wemby. But I would think some talent would love to play with him and for Gregg Popovich.
Is Scottie Scheffler even human?
5. Top Scheff: Scottie Scheffler had a neck strain last Friday, was in pain after every shot for two days and very nearly withdrew from The Players Championship. But the former Texas Longhorn scored an impressive 64 in the final round and avoided a playoff when Wyndham Clark’s on-line putt to tie fell into the cup only to lip out and do a U-turn. Scheffler made $8.5 million by winning his last two events and now has 25 top-three finishes. He has pocketed $53.5 million in career earnings over three seasons and may be considering buying Colorado. Did you know that Arnold Palmer was worth $885 million in lifetime earnings with hefty endorsements, but on the course alone, Arnie won 62 PGA Tour events and made a paltry $2.1 million? Scottie makes that on the back nine. Plus, he’s one of the nicest guys ever.
Time for Texas baseball to get serious
6. Hardball hard luck: I’m not ready to write a eulogy on this Texas baseball club, but it’s obvious the team is scuffling and desperate to find some reliable pitching and better situational hitting like getting on base. Sooner than later. “Offensively I feel like we’re just too one-dimensional right now,” head coach David Pierce said. “And so it’s hard for us to really generate some offense. You’ve got to scrap and try to find ways to get 90 feet. You got to get a man on base first. You’ve got to create an environment to thrive. So, wait on your pitch, get on top of the plate and get hit, do whatever it takes.” He’s right. In the first two games against Washington, Texas' leadoff man reached base only three times in 18 innings. That included Rylan Galvan’s leadoff double to start the night in the 5-3 Game 2 loss, but he was stranded there when pinch-hitter Kimble Schuessler struck out on an 84-mph pitch, Casey Borba grounded out to short and Jack O’Dowd flied out harmlessly to center. That last out was one of 13 fly-ball outs by Texas in the game, yet more evidence the Longhorns are trying to swing for the fences. That’s never been a sound strategy in spacious UFCU Disch-Falk Field even though Texas ranks 24th nationally with 34 homers. (Bad news: seven SEC teams have hit that many or more.) That said, this is a very good hitting lineup, especially with Peyton Powell and Jared Thomas at the top of the order. So far, the inefficient pitching has obscured and wasted what has been a top defense although corner outfielders Porter Brown and Max Belyeu have had some dicey moments. But Powell, shortstop Jalin Flores and pitcher Ace Whitehead had some spectacular fielding gems in the Saturday contest. At least Texas won 4-3 on Sunday with all four runs coming on RBI groundouts, a sac fly and a bases-loaded walk. Hey, whatever works.
The newest Aggie settles in
7. Catching up: Trev Alberts will get a great chance to renew old acquaintances this week. Well, not all that old. The former Nebraska athletic director and All-American linebacker resigned from his position just days ago to take the Texas A&M athletic director’s job just in time before those two schools will face off in this week’s NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. If there was an NCAA pickle ball tournament this week, I’m sure the Aggies and Cornhuskers would be squaring off in that, too. Even Alberts poked good-natured fun at the selection committees and their great sense of drama and flair when he tweeted, “You can’t make this up.” Hard to say exactly why Alberts left his alma mater, but it sure seems he tired of some dysfunction at Nebraska since it’s still trying to make up its mind on a new school president after the old one, Ted Carter, announced 211 days ago he was going to Ohio State and has since gone. And oddly enough, the new Buckeyes’ AD is, of course, old Aggies AD Ross Bjork. Alberts becomes the second Cornhuskers AD to leave for College Station, following the path of Bill Byrne. I don’t know Alberts, but he comes highly recommended, and I’m sure if the SEC adopts athletic director arm wrestling as its newest sport, the Aggies will win it all.
Whatever happened to ...
8. Scattershooting: While wondering whatever happened to Jackie Swaim, the 6-foot center for the Lady Longhorns in 1978-79.
This movie was truly a zone of non-interest
9. On the couch: I may have just seen the worst movie I have ever sat through. My wife and I endured “The Zone of Interest,” a story with rich potential about a Nazi commandant and his family living luxuriously next door to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Yet there was way too little character development, no interaction between the family and the enslaved Jewish population, no true hint of the inhumanity and atrocities being performed next door beyond some gunshots and sounds of trains. And yet this was nominated for an Academy Award. Gave it 0 ducks. The movie starts with a black screen and goes downhill from there. It replaces my two worst flicks, “Open Water” and “Zoolander.”
For the Big 12, it'll be March Sadness
Crazy prediction: No Big 12 team will make the men's Final Four.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas football likes what it sees in a bigger, beefier quarterback
