Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian announced Monday that the team is monitoring Quinn Ewers closely for this weekend's Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma.

When pressed in his weekly talk with reporters, the coach said that Ewers would start today if they had a game.

"If we had to play today, sure," Sarkisian said. "I want to see how he responds to extended work, and what that looks like to make sure that he's as healthy as he can be."

Ewers has been out for the past two weeks with an oblique strain he suffered during the Longhorns' 56-7 win over the University of Texas at San Antonio. In his place, Texas backup quarterback Arch Manning has led the team to two consecutive wins over the University of Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State.

Orangebloods, the Rivals site that covers Texas, reported last Wednesday that Ewers has returned to practice and is taking reps from the first team.

More: Texas football midseason grades: Are Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning among A's for No. 1 Horns?

"No way he misses this game or the rest of the season. He wants to win the SEC and a Natty," Orangebloods reporter Anwar Richardson was reportedly told.

Manning has thrown for 806 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions in Ewers' absence. Despite his performance, Sarkisian has been adamant that a healthy Ewers is the starter.

"With some of the games that we have coming up down the road, (Ewers is) going to be in New York for the Heisman and whether he wins it or not, but he has the ability to do that, and I think he has ability to be a top-five NFL draft pick," Sarkisian said before Texas' game vs. ULM.

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Quinn Ewers injury update: Texas QB's status for Red River Rivalry