Quinn Ewers is bigger.

Will it equate to better?

More important, will the added weight lead to him playing wire-to-wire for the first time in his Texas career?

The Longhorns' senior quarterback still stands 6-foot-2, but on the UT football roster that was just released, he is now 205 pounds. That's up 10 pounds from last season.

Adding the extra pounds can’t hurt his durability, assuming it’s good weight. Ewers has missed six games over the last two seasons and while the Longhorns were able to keep the winning going with a 5-1 record in those contests, the missed three quarters in the 2019 loss to Alabama still resonates with the fan base, giving how he well he threw the ball before going down with a collarbone injury.

Add how he dominated the Tide in Tuscaloosa last season and it’s understandable why Longhorn Nation is excited about this fall and the SEC challenge.

A change in Quinn Ewers' game

Football players call it putting on more armor. Presumably, more weight can make a player less susceptible to injury, something Ewers has not been able to avoid in his first two seasons.

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This time last year, we all noticed that Ewers was much leaner at the beginning of spring ball than he was his first year on campus when he was played at 217 pounds. He dedicated himself to improving his nutrition — he cut out the drive-thru visits —  and working his tail off in the gym. The result was a 195-pound frame and a noticeable improvement in his movement. That said, he took a hit to the shoulder against Houston and was shelved for three games.

Even with the injury, the leaner frame made Ewers more spry on his feet. He rushed for 75 yards last season and while that may not seem like much, it’s eons better than the -52 yards he  registered in 2022, an indication that he was able to avoid sacks and get out and scramble more.

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He was sacked 27 times — the offensive line gave up only 19 the year before — and put up a career high in rushing yards with 54 in the Sugar Bowl loss to Washington. He also scored five rushing touchdowns, four more than he did his first season.

In some ways, Ewers is starting over in Year 3

One must also take into consideration that Ewers was much more comfortable at the position in his second year under center and that the game surely slowed down for him. Yes, he was guilty of holding on to the ball too long, which can’t always be put on his blockers.

With spring football ramping up on March 19, Ewers is the unquestioned starter with popular backup Arch Manning waiting in the wings. This could be the year Ewers takes another step forward toward becoming a high NFL draft pick after throwing 22 touchdowns with only six interceptions last season.

A step-up in production will have to come with some new faces in the receiving corps as the Horns lost veterans Jordan Whittington, Adonai Mitchell, Xavier Worthy and J’Tavion Sanders to the pros.

Of course it helps to have two seasons of starting under his belt.

And some added armor won’t hurt.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers starts 2024 with added weight, same goal