The Texas football program has advanced to national contender status led by big names like Steve Sarkisian, Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning. The Longhorns lost a few key contributors to the NFL but nevertheless remain a popular pick to make the 2024-2025 College Football Playoff, which will include an extra eight teams this season.

On Friday one of the key members of the 2024-2025 Texas football got an important endorsement from an ex-Longhorns star running back: Damien Harris. The ex-NFL and New England Patriots star extolled the leadership capabilities of the Texas football QB Ewers, who has battled it out with Arch Manning this offseason for the starting QB gig. “I love Texas, I love everything about Texas,” Harris said. “I love Quinn Ewers, he's my favorite player in all of college football,” Harris said.

“I think when you've got a stout leader like Quinn Ewers under center, you've got nothing to worry about,” Harris added.

Ewers was ranked number four among all QBs nationwide by analyst Joel Klatt prior to the season. He led the Longhorns to a CFP matchup with Michael Penix Jr.'s Washington Huskies before falling in a close back-and-forth game.

Harris touched on the Manning vs. Ewers QB battle that has become a controversy at times. Both Ewers and Manning are former five-star recruits with big arms and a big suite of quarterbacking skills.

“All this hype about (Arch) Manning…Quinn Ewers said, ‘Hold my beer.'”

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Harris' confident Texas football boast came amid a five-star wide receiver sharing a 10-word statement about his ‘Horns commitment. Texas super fan Matthew McConaughey also shared a four-word take on Texas's season opener.

Texas football prepares for opener 

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers during the first day with pads of the fall football camp at Denius Fields on Monday, August 5, 2024.
© Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Texas football team will do its best Colorado football impersonation this weekend as they take on the Colorado State Rams prior to a showdown with the defending champion Michigan football team the following week.

Will Ewers make the big plays against the Rams, and then the Wolverines, that Texas football needs to win? If not, he could find himself on the sideline watching Arch Manning take his long-awaited turn. Ewers has what it takes to contend for the Heisman, but the Harris endorsement won't save him if he doesn't deliver the goods with the game on the line this season.