Texas Football: Hudson Card having accuracy issues on deep balls

There was not much that Texas football fans found out in spring camp to help decipher what lies ahead for the starting quarterback battle heading into the fall. New head coach Steve Sarkisian has a pair of former four-star recruits in sophomore Hudson Card and redshirt junior Casey Thompson that are duking it out for the starting job in the post-Sam Ehlinger era on the Forty Acres.

For the most part, it was Thompson that was getting the first-team reps more often than Card in spring drills. But it also sounded like Card and Thompson were getting nearly an equal amount of first-team reps this spring on most occasions.

At the moment, it would seem like Thompson holds the slight edge over Card, given his heightened experience level and momentum coming off a solid performance in the Alamo Bowl last year. But Card could very well take the starting job from Thompson if he has a good showing in summer workouts and fall camp.

The quarterback competition could very well spill into the start of the regular season too. Texas is set to take on Louisiana Ragin-Cajuns in their regular season opener on Sep. 4, with the Arkansas Razorbacks on tap in Week 2.

That’s not a super easy start to the regular season, but one where the eventual starting quarterback in the opener could have a very short leash.

Does Hudson Card have a chance for Texas football?

According to a Horns247 report from April 29 (paid content), Card is a really good option for the Longhorns when you look at his accuracy on short and intermediate routes. But it is reportedly Card’s inconsistent accuracy level on deep balls that could make a coach like Sark hesitant to hand him the complete reigns of the offense.

Thompson also apparently owns the edge at the moment in terms of his ability to throw on the run. If Thompson can hit short and intermediate routes at least reasonably well, and maintain a significant edge over Card in terms of his accuracy while scrambling outside of the pocket and on deep balls, it’s hard to imagine he won’t win the starting job when it’s all said and done.

But it is still very early on this year, and Card doesn’t have much of any game action under his belt. Accuracy should be able to improve for him as the offseason moves along, and it looks like he will remain a challenger for Thompson to ultimately win the starting job heading into the fall.

Texas finished up last season with a record of 7-3 (5-3 Big 12) under the direction of former head coach Tom Herman. Back on Jan. 2, the reigning Broyles Award winner and former Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Sark replaced Herman as the next Texas head coach.