"He anticipates throws": Greg McElroy drops promising remarks about Texas QB gearing up for Sugar Bowl 

Quinn Ewers has led the Texas Longhorns to their first College Football Playoff game against the Washington Huskies in next week's Sugar Bowl.

About Ewers's ability to quickly make throws in his offense, Greg McElroy of the "Always College Football" podcast said:

“He gets the ball out quick. He anticipates throws.”

Quinn Ewers quickly gets ball to receivers

One of the strengths of Ewers at quarterback is his ability to quickly release the ball into the hands of his receivers.

This quick-play style has its advantages. The majority of plays by Ewers are not deep passes down to the likes of Xavier Worthy. They are short passes, and Ewers allows the rest of the talented Longhorns offense to move the ball down the field.

McElroy said that 58 percent of Ewers's total yardage for the season has come from yards gained after the catch.

Ewers can quickly move the ball to his team. But he doesn't need to do this. He has a lot of time available. This is because of the strong offensive line that the third-ranked Longhorns (12-1) have.

On average, it has taken the opposition 3.19 seconds to reach Ewers. This is the fourth longest in college football this season, only bettered by UTEP, Utah and fellow CFP contender Alabama. In big games, this pocket protection could provide Ewers with the opportunity to find a wide receiver downfield to score a game-winning touchdown.

But what else does Ewers have in his arsenal that can help him succeed in next week's Sugar Bowl against the second-ranked Huskies (13-0)?

Quinn Ewers's strengths

As well as his ability to quickly release the ball, Ewers has incredible arm strength. This can allow him to quickly release the ball both 5 yards in front of him and 50 yards down the field. This ability becomes more of an asset for the Longhorns’ offense when paired with the strong offensive line, giving Ewers more than enough time to decide how far to throw.

But Ewers is also good on his feet. This season, he has scored five rushing touchdowns.

Quinn Ewers in 2023

In 2023, Ewers played 10 games, missing two with an arm injury, where he was replaced by Malik Murphy, who recently transferred to Duke. He threw for 21 touchdowns and 3,161 yards.

In big games, Ewers shines. During the Longhorns’ 49-21 win over Oklahoma State in the Big 12 championship game, Ewers threw for a championship game-record 452 yards and four touchdowns as the game's MVP.