Texas Football: Sark high on the Horns QB situation for 2021

Definitely what will be a hot storyline for the Texas football program and newly hired head coach Steve Sarkisian during the 2021 offseason is the team’s quarterback battle. A quarterback competition that is likely to take place between redshirt sophomore dual-threat Casey Thompson and freshman Hudson Card could be interesting on the Forty Acres heading into spring camp.

Although there’s optimism apparently coming from the Longhorns coaching staff ahead of the start of spring ball this offseason, there is an apparent lack of depth that could be concerning too. Sark and the Longhorns don’t have the same plethora of depth in the quarterback room that they had over the course of the last two offseasons.

The fruitful results that were usually delivered at the position on the recruiting trail weren’t there from this past cycle either. Texas lost commitments from the likes of both elite five-star pro-style quarterback Quinn Ewers and talented four-star dual-threat quarterback Jalen Milroe since the 2020 preseason.

Texas also lost senior star quarterback Sam Ehlinger to the 2021 NFL Draft and freshman quarterback Ja’Quinden Jackson to the NCAA Transfer Portal. Jackson wound up landing with head coach Kyle Whittingham and the Utah Utes last month.

Sark on Texas football’s QB room

Moreover, it is nice to hear Sark’s optimism between three Texas quarterbacks in this room currently. He’ll also have the opportunity to develop the former Iowa State Cyclones three-star pro-style quarterback and local Austin High product Charlie Wright, alongside Thompson and Card.

Here’s more on what Sark reportedly had to say this week on the Texas quarterback situation (monologue thanks to Horns247).

"“But I do like the maturity of Casey (Thompson). I like what he brought in the (Alamo Bowl) game. You got a pretty good feel. We’ve obviously dug into a lot of practice tape. I like the skill set of Hudson Card. I think he’s a really talented player, and you see that when you dig into the practice tape. “I think we’ve got two kind-of frontline guys to start the process, and then bringing Charles (Wright) here. And then we’ll see what we end up doing moving forward in the ’22 and ’23 class.”"

Sark did a really nice job with the offense in Tuscaloosa on his way to winning a College Football Playoff National Championship Game last season. He is the reigning Broyles Award winner from his second year as the Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator.

The Alabama offense produced the Heisman winner last season, and another Heisman finalist, between star wide receiver DeVonta Smith and quarterback Mac Jones.

It feels like Thompson has the edge to be the starting quarterback for Sark next season, as it stands now. In his three years playing for Texas thus far, Thompson registered a 69.0 completion percentage, 309 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, and no interceptions. He added 53 rushing yards and one score on the ground too.

Thompson has more snaps in relevant game action than Card does. The Austin native Card has just 11 rushing yards on four attempts and one completion on three passing attempts, good for five passing yards and no touchdowns.

During the 2020 season, the Longhorns finished up with a record of 7-3 (5-3 Big 12) under the direction of now former fourth-year head coach Herman. Their last game resulted in a dominant 55-23 win over the Colorado Buffaloes in the Alamo Bowl back on Dec. 29.