It has been seven years since Joe Tessitore uttered the phrase “Texas is back, folks” following a Tyrone Swoopes touchdown run that gave the Longhorns a win over Notre Dame.

The problem was, Texas was not back and it was because of the quarterback play.

Swoopes carried the ball 13 times and scored three touchdowns in that game. He only attempted one pass as Texas used him as a big-body runner, especially near the goal line. Shane Buechele was the starter under center that night and enjoyed success as Texas’ quarterback, as did Sam Ehlinger.

To this point, no quarterback has come close to duplicating what Vince Young was able to accomplish in 2005. Steve Sarkisian and company are hoping that Quinn Ewers and quarterbacks to come after him will change the narrative.

Texasis currently 5-0 on the year and up to No. 3 in the AP Poll. The Longhorns earned a signature victory by defeating Alabama is Tuscaloosa and recently rolled over Big 12 foes Baylor and Kansas.

Against the Jayhawks, Ewers threw his first interception of the season but has been stellar. He is completing 66% of his passes to go with 1,358 passing yards and 10 touchdowns. Ewers has also scored five touchdowns on the ground. The Heisman Trophy race is far from over but Ewers has put his name up there with the likes of Michael Penix Jr. and Caleb Williams.

Ewers will likely enter the 2024 NFL Draft and has a chance to be taken within the first two rounds. So what does Texas do? Ewers was the top player in the Class of 2021 and the Longhorns brought in another No. 1 recruit with Arch Manning.

Yes, the family lineage is there for Manning but so is the size and skill. He is a pro-style quarterback that is expected to have all of the tools to dominate at the collegiate level. The overall hype from his last name has brought in plenty of NIL money and will bring eyeballs to Texas Football next season. His play on the field is expected to keep the Longhorns near the top of the polls competing for championships.

This is the last season that Texas will be part of the Big 12. The Longhorns will be moving to the SEC and taking on an entirely different level of competition. The team has already gotten a taste of it against Alabama each of the last two years. Sarkisian and his teams have faired well with one win and a close loss in two matchups.

The nation has been waiting for Texas to officially be back and thanks to the quarterback play this season, that seems to be the case. Moving forward, Sarkisian has set the program up for success by bringing in what could be the next star under center. It is officially time to say yes, Texas is back.