Report: Texas QB Quinn Ewers is no longer 100 percent healthy and has a severe ankle sprain

Concerns about the health of Quinn Ewers, the Texas Longhorns’ redshirt junior quarterback, continue to circulate Saturday. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported from College Station that the ankle sprain, initially thought to be mild, was actually a severe ankle sprain that resulted in Ewers suffering less than 100 percent going into the game against Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field.

The team’s official injury report listed Ewers as probable for the third straight game on Friday, but Thamel said Texas is preparing behind the scenes for the possibility that redshirt freshman quarterback Arch Manning may have to play against Texas A&M.

It’s a delicate balance for Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian, especially since Ewers received an award on Senior Day last week, a strong indication that the game against the Aggies is his final regular-season game in burnt orange and white.

In the win over Kentucky, Sarkisian opted to use his third-year starting quarterback, leaving Ewers in the game after he sprained his ankle on a hip drop tackle at the end of a scramble. Ewers entered the medical tent to receive treatment before returning to the field.

However, in the second half, Ewers was significantly hampered and could barely move in the pocket or follow through on his throws. As a result, Texas attempted only five passes in the second half and relied entirely on the running game on the decisive 15-play drive in the fourth quarter that sealed the victory.

Given Ewers’ ankle’s seemingly poor response to treatment this week, it’s fair to wonder whether Sarkisian made the right decision keeping Ewers in a game in which the Horns led 24/7 at halftime.

Now the question is how Sarkisian will perform on the road in a rivalry game.