A look at similarities and differences between Vince Young & Quinn Ewers with 10 days to kickoff
Ten days remain until the Texas Longhorns begin the 2022 season. As Will Gallagher points out, 10 is the number Vincent Paul Young Jr. wore during his four years in Austin.
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Young was lauded as the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2002 class by the relevant outlet at the time. His athleticism at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds paired with an already strong yet still budding passing ability had schools from across the country after his services. That era’s redshirt rules and Chris Simms’ presence on the Forty Acres meant Young had to wait a year (and a few games) to show his ability. But once Mack Brown made the switch to Young from Chance Mock after crushing defeat at the hands of Oklahoma, the spotlight shined on No. 10.
How that story ends is well-known by Longhorn fans. It’s why no Texas football player will ever regularly wear Young’s number again.
Two decades later, a new, yet familiar story is set to begin in Austin.
Quinn Ewers was considered a top-two prospect in the 2022 class by all the major services. His passing ability at 6-foot-2 and 206 pounds paired with already strong yet still budding athleticism had schools from across the country after his services. This era’s transfer rules and NIL regulations plus Hudson Card’s presence on the Forty Acres meant Ewers had to wait a year (and win a competition) in order to show his ability. But once Steve Sarkisian made the call last Friday, the spotlight fell upon No. 3.
How that story unfolds is to be determined.
There are plenty of parallels between Young and Ewers. Young’s offense included an All-American level junior tailback in the late Cedric Benson. Ewers will have Bijan Robinson to hand the ball off to. Young had Roy Williams, a top-two receiver in school history, leading a strong skill group that included B.J. Johnson, Sloan Thomas, David Thomas, and Bo Scaife. Ewers will have Xavier Worthy, a player vying to rewrite Williams’ records, along with Jordan Whittington, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Jahleel Billingsley, and even Robinson to throw to out of the backfield.
There are also obvious differences. In the two years preceding the 2003 season, Young’s first, Texas was a combined 22-4 with two bowl wins and two AP top-10 finishes. In the two years preceding the 2022 season, Texas was a combined 12-10 with one bowl win and a coaching change. One of those years was a 5-7 campaign.
The 2002 defense allowed only two opponents to score more than 25 points in 13 games. Nine opponents scored 25-plus points against the 2021 Longhorns, and Derrick Johnson certainly isn’t on the opposite side of Ewers’ offense in the current preseason practices. Nor is Nathan Vasher, Rod Babers, Michael Huff, etc.
Though Young walked into a better team situation, it took some trials and tribulations before he was put into an offense that fit his strengths. It took struggles versus Oklahoma and Missouri for Brown to finally “let Vince be Vince,” as the story goes. After that happened, Texas didn’t lose a game for the rest of Young’s collegiate career.
Ewers walks into an offense tailor-made for him from the start. “He can make all the throws,” Sarkisian said Monday. When led by someone who can make all the throws, Sark’s offense operates at its peak.
Is this to say that Ewers will bring the Longhorns to New Years Six success in 2022 and national title contention in 2023 before riding off into the 2024 NFL draft? Absolutely not. Jaylan Ford is no Johnson, and Ryan Watts and D’Shawn Jamison are no Babers and Vasher.
Plus, that doesn’t even mention the offensive and defensive lines.
What it does say is that as opposed to Young, Ewers is taking over in an offense that fits his skillset to a T. As a top-rated quarterback with immense physical gifts, Ewers is set up with an opportunity to make plays that others in the Big 12 and college football simply cannot.
This time, in contrast to Young, the offense will fit the player from the start.
If Sarkisian’s decision culminates in a result in the same neighborhood as Brown’s, it will help him join the national champion coach as program leaders who helped top-rated quarterbacks achieve their immense potential in burnt orange. Only Sarkisian’s decision could make it happen at an earlier point in his top-rated quarterback’s career.
