Top 3 players who could keep Steve Sarkisian's natty hopes alive in 2024 ft. Quinn Ewers
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian will face the tough task of moving from the Big 12 to the SEC for the 2024 season. After winning the Big 12 Championship and earning their spot in the CFP semifinals last season, can the Longhorns replicate their success this season as they navigate the competitive SEC?
With many of the top performers at Texas moving on to the NFL, here are the top three players who have the potential to bring Steve Sarkisian his first national title as a head coach in 2024.
Top 3 players who could keep Steve Sarkisian's national championship hopes alive
Quinn Ewers, QB
Star quarterback Quinn Ewers returns to Steve Sarkisian's squad for the 2024 season after having a career year in the Texas offense last season. He threw for 3,479 yards with 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions during his sophomore season. He also added five touchdowns on the ground while finishing with 75 yards rushing.
He had his best game last season in the Big 12 Championship game against Oklahoma State. He completed 76.1% of his passes in that game for 452 yards and four touchdowns while leading Texas to a 49-21 victory.
He then tallied 318 yards and one touchdown in the Sugar Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff semifinals. Ewers played very well in their bowl game, but the Longhorns could not advance to the national championship after falling to Washington 37-31.
According to 247Sports, Ewers was the top overall recruit in the country in the class of 2021 and originally committed to play for Ohio State. Ewers made just one late game appearance for the Buckeyes in 2021, taking two snaps but not throwing a single pass. He then entered the transfer portal, where he chose to join Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns as their starting quarterback in 2022.
Isaiah Bond, WR
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond was a massive acquisition for Steve Sarkisian from the transfer portal during this offseason. With last season's leading receivers Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Ja'Tavion Sanders and Jordan Whittington going to the NFL, Bond could emerge as the leader of a new-look Longhorns receiving core.
Bond transferred from Alabama after spending the last two seasons in Tuscaloosa. He had a career year in 2023, finishing with 668 yards and four receiving touchdowns. Bond will be joined by fellow transfer receivers Matthew Golden and Silas Bolden as Texas aims to give quarterback Quinn Ewers weapons on the outside that are just as dangerous as last season.
Bond was the top-ranked WR transfer this year and a former four-star recruit, according to 247Sports. Texas was one of the 28 programs to make an offer to Bond out of high school, but he chose to sign with Alabama as a freshman and stay for his sophomore year.
Trey Moore, DE
UTSA transfer Trey Moore will join Steve Sarkisian's defensive line as an elite edge rusher. Moore played three seasons at UTSA, earned First-Team All-AAC honors and was named the AAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. He's led the conference in tackles for loss in back-to-back seasons and finished with an AAC-high 14.0 sacks last season.
After losing Byron Murphy II and T'Vondre Sweat on their defensive line, Sarkisian and the Longhorns are getting a new defensive end who can wreak havoc in the backfield. Moore was the third-ranked edge rusher and 23rd overall-ranked player in the transfer portal, making this a huge pickup for Texas ahead of the 2024 season.
The Houston, Texas, native now gets to showcase his skills in one of the top conferences in college football with 105 total career tackles and 35.5 tackles for loss.
Who do you think will be the most important player for Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns in 2024? Let us know in the comment section.