DALLAS — There goes the saying: "New Year, new me."
It looks like Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers, a former Southlake Carroll star, has taken that approach to his second season at the helm in Austin. Ewers, who noticeably rocked a mullet in his first season as the Longhorns QB1, showed up to Big 12 Media Days with significantly less hair. The haircut is just one of many transformations the Southlake star is bringing to 2023.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian told the media that Ewers has been putting in work during the offseason and "transformed his body."
"What [Ewers] did coming into this off-season is continued just to pour into what does he need to do to be the best quarterback for the University of Texas," Sarkisian said. "The result of that is we've seen his body composition change. We've seen a level of maturity change."
Ewers told Bruce Feldman of The Athletic that he changed his diet, which has led to the Texas quarterback shedding 18 pounds (down to 200 from 218 last season).
“It was just the way my body felt,” Ewers told The Athletic. “I didn’t feel healthy. And since I have been eating better, I’ve noticed I don’t have that pressure on my joints. My back feels amazing. Since I have been eating better, I’ve noticed it also helps me mentally.”
As far as the mullet was concerned, it was time for all business, no party.
“I was ready for it (the mullet) to go. I was tired of it. It was just a lot to keep up with, and it was time to grow up,” Ewers said.
For Longhorns, beating Oklahoma is always a party, and UT's dominant shutout win, led by Ewers resulted in a mullet-donning photo for the ages.
"I really focused on my body and just trying to get as healthy as I could before the season starts," Ewers said at Big 12 Media Days. "I haven't felt this healthy in a while. I'm pretty fired up."
Despite the arrival of Arch Manning, Ewers is headed into the 2023-24 season the starting quarterback. Ewers finished his first season with Texas throwing for 2,177 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions in 10 games played. He got injured early in the marquee matchup with then-ranked No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide at home. Ewers shined and Texas' offense looked dangerous against the formidable Bama team, but Ewers' injury changed the tide (no pun intended) of the game.
In year two, the Longhorns are favored to win the Big 12 in their final season in the conference, in large part due to Ewers. Sarkisian told the media he expects Ewers to go in the first round "if things go the way we think they can go."
"What I do know is [Ewers is] extremely talented. There's not a throw he can't make," Sarkisian said. "He's got a very high football IQ. If things go the way we think they can go, the pundits are probably right, he is a first-round draft pick quarterback."
More Big 12 Conference coverage: