AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Longhorns' head coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed Quinn Ewers will return for the Red River Rivalry game on Saturday.
On Monday, Sarkisian confirmed his starting quarterback was on track to return as the starter and revealed he practiced last week during UT's bye.
Sarkisian said if anyone benefited from the time off, it was Ewers. The quarterback missed Texas' previous two games after leaving with a strained abdomen in the first half of a victory over UTSA.
With Ewers out, Arch Manning started in his place, leading Texas to wins over Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State. Sarkisian said he had "no hesitation of Arch going into the game" against Oklahoma if it comes to that.
Ewers has thrown for 691 yards and eight touchdowns this season, garnering attention as a Heisman Trophy contender. The Associated Press notes that his expected return against Oklahoma on Saturday is similar to 2022 when he missed three games because of a clavicle injury before returning to lead Texas to a 49-0 victory over the Sooners.
Texas is ranked No. 1 again after Vanderbilt upset Alabama last Saturday and is currently a 14.5-point favorite over Oklahoma. According to Sports Illustrated, it's the first time Texas has been a double-digit favorite since 2005.
The Longhorns will face their bitter rivals, No. 18 Oklahoma, at 2:30 p.m. at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.