CFB: Breaking Down the Texas Quarterback Battle
New coach Steve Sarkisian has one of the toughest first-year decisions to make in his inaugural season in Austin: decide who replaces legendary Longhorns QB, Sam Ehlinger. Ehlinger ranks fourth in school history in wins (27), second in passing yards (11,436), passing touchdowns (94), total offense (13,358), and total touchdowns (127). Those are some big shoes to fill!
The battle has whittled itself down to two options: junior Casey Thompson and redshirt freshman Hudson Card. Thompson has the leg up on Card, seeing action in the second half of Texas’ Alamo Bowl win over Colorado (8/10, 170 yards, and four touchdowns), but has to hold off the uber-talented Card. Let’s break them both down
Casey Thompson (6-1 194, Junior)
Thompson has been waiting a while for his chance to play. The junior out of Oklahoma City enrolled in January 2018, and after redshirting the 2018 season, saw limited action in both 2019 and 2020. Thompson wasn’t the highest-rated recruit, ranking as the No. 15 dual-threat QB in the 2018 class by 247Sports and the 438th-ranked player nationally. He was thrilled to see Sark choose the Longhorns, texting AD Chris Del Conte for Sark’s number and consuming Alabama tape as soon as the hire was announced.
Hudson Card (6-2 195, Redshirt Freshman)
The local kid out of Lake Travis High School in Austin, Card oozes with talent and will give Thompson all he can handle in the QB battle. Ranked as the No. 3 dual-threat QB in the nation by 247Sports, Card was a decorated high school quarterback. I’m not going to list all of his accomplishments, but you can look here if you want to look. The freshman appeared in two games in the 2020 season while keeping his redshirt, throwing a combined three passes.
Notes About the Competition so Far
As with most of these other battles, we don’t have a definitive favorite yet. Sark gave his thoughts on the battle earlier in April:
“Clearly, they’re both very athletic, young men,” Sarkisian said to the media earlier this month on the quarterback battle. “They throw the ball well. I think they’ve got a good grasp of what we’re trying to do. Now, it’s just getting into the flow of letting things happen naturally and not playing quite as robotic. “But I think, all in all, I’m pleased with where we’re at that position.”
While Thompson appears to have the slight edge due to experience and age, neither was really able to make a statement during the Texas spring game. Card (15-for-25 passing for 168 yards and a touchdown) and Thompson (23-for-42 for 242 yards and two interceptions) were both up and down. Thompson worked with the first team and Card worked with the second team, emphasizing that slight edge Thompson has over Card.
Every indication suggests this battle will get whittled down in the summer as the season approaches. I’ll leave you with a quote Sark gave to the media earlier in April on what he’s looking for in his quarterbacks, who have combined for just 32 collegiate passes.
“Basically the one thing I look for in a quarterback early on is, does he throw a catchable ball,” Sarkisian said. “Because the idea when you call pass plays is to complete them. And to complete passes, most likely, you have to put it in an area with the right velocity and/or touch to allow the receiver to catch the ball and advance the football.
“I think there are some things fundamentally we can work on to enhance their accuracy, but I think some people have a knack for throwing an accurate ball, a catchable ball. And some people don’t, no matter how talented they are.”
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-By: TJ Mathewson