Quinn Ewers injury: Latest update on Texas QB’s availability for matchup against Oklahoma

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers nearly returned from his Week 3 injury for last Saturday's Week 5 game against Mississippi State. It was the SEC opener for the Longhorns, and coach Steve Sarkisian did not reveal a clear decision until shortly before kickoff.

However, Ewers did not ultimately return for last week's game, and instead, Arch Manning got the start. The backup quarterback put together another impressive performance, completing 26 of 31 passing attempts and throwing for 325 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-13 victory over Mississippi State.

In his press conference on Monday, Sarkisian discussed Quinn Ewers' injury and how his recovery is progressing ahead of an important game for No. 2-ranked Texas. He said:

"He's just rehabbing as he has been. I think he's been making steady progress one day to the next, which is a good sign. We haven't had any setbacks. It's been steady progress. I think he's getting stronger and more comfortable and more confident, and so we'll just kind of stay the course with that."

Sarkisian continued and talked about the importance of Ewers returning but praised Manning's performance in his absence.

"We need Quinn back because he's our quarterback, and he's our leader," Sarkisian said. "I think that that impacts the entire team's belief. But what I think we learned, and what Arch kind of earned here over the last two and a half games, is this team can count on him too.

"When we get Quinn back, we're all going to be excited about that but we also know, gosh, what a luxury that we do have. And what valuable experience Arch got here over the last two and a half games."

Since Monday's press conference, there has been an update on Quinn Ewers' status for this week's game against No. 19 Oklahoma. Anwar Richardson, a Texas Longhorns reporter, reported that multiple sources confirmed that Ewers got first-team reps at practice, and there is no way he misses this game.

While this is not a 100% confirmation of Ewers' return, Richardson is a trusted reporter with a strong track record.

What happened to Quinn Ewers?

Quinn Ewers was injured in Texas' Week 3 game against UTSA. Although the team won 56-7, it lost its starting quarterback to an abdominal strain.

At the time, it was unclear how severe the injury was, but Ewers' rehab has gone well, and he should return this week. He was the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy before the injury, having completed 58 of 79 passing attempts and thrown for 691 yards and eight touchdowns.