Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter Humbled by Texas Longhorns Rival & It’s Not Quinn Ewers
If you still think that light moves the fastest, you might not minutely study the ever-evolving competitive dynamism of college football. Amidst a whirlwind mid-season, the Heisman race on one hand and the NFL draft contention on the other are rapidly changing the reality of football. Just a few weeks back, it was impossible to imagine anyone other than Travis Hunter to sit atop the Heisman odds in 2024, but time has its own magic.
Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty’s meteoric rise to the No. 1 in the Heisman race only proved that there are never short of rousing talents in CFB. For Hunter, however, it was not the only step back. The Colorado favorite couldn’t also be the first overall pick of the next year’s draft, and the reason is not, as you think, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, who has currently been injury-stricken. The blame goes to none, but the unreal momentum showcased by another Longhorns player.
Travis Hunter might be a brand that very few can hold themself up to, Shedeur Sanders might carry the quintessential gene of Coach Prime and has come fresh off some really good games in the ongoing season, but Longhorns left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr is stealing all the spotlight as the new frontrunner of the mock draft list of 2025.
Updated Mock Draft (10/7/24) pic.twitter.com/uatbiN7bGe
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) October 7, 2024
The Longhorn offense reached a trademark stat of 522 total yards, with 324 in the air and 198 on the ground. Kelvin’s grit and constant strive to deliver the best earned him the highest-rated player in the offensive line. Coming to the current breakout season of the Longhorns, the Texas offense didn’t let the score go down below 30 in each game.
The young prodigy also resisted any pressure or any defender to get better off his position. The strength of the O-line is reflected in two simple stats- in their passing game, the Longhorns are currently averaging 8.4 yards/play. The rushing numbers aren’t bad either at 6.4 yards/rush.
In a fiery SEC debut over Mississippi State, Kelvin Banks Jr brought out his best to be named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week. While he earned the weekly honor for the first time, Banks is aiming for bigger things, especially the First-Team All-American honor. However, all of these are cherry on the cake for Banks because he’s an ultimate team man. Nothing would be sweeter than seeing his team win the national championship.
The top spot in the mock NFL draft was just another mesmerising addition to his cap, but never a surprise. Earlier this month, in another draft, Banks was chosen as a Top 5 pick and projected to go to the Cleveland Browns.
What makes Banks special? Well, as per PFF analyst Trevor Sikkema, “Banks is a smooth mover for his size and one of the highest-graded offensive tackles in the nation (83.2). His 90.2 pass-blocking grade is tied for the second-best mark in the nation through five weeks.”
Texas Longhorns sail over their first SEC hurdle
The Longhorns triumphed over MS State by 35-13 in their first SEC game after their much-talked-about move from the Big 12. Longhorns’ rising star, Arch Manning, had another great day in the field in his second consecutive start. He completed 26-of-31 passes for 325 yards. Add to that 33 rushing yards and another TD.
While the game against MS State wasn’t as smooth as Head Coach Steve Sarkisian would have liked, he was still pleased in his post-game comments for facing adversity after smooth sailing in their first four games.
“Our guys showed composure. They found a way to fight back and pull away in a tough game and that’s what the SEC is all about,” Sarkisian said. The Longhorns’ HC was particularly impressed by Manning’s performance. He added, ″What a luxury to have a player of his caliber as our backup quarterback.”
Having said that, Sarkisian again reiterated that starting QB Quinn Ewers remains their leader. “(Ewers) is our quarterback and he’s our leader …What we’ve learned, and what Arch has earned, is that this team can count on him, too,” he said.
Following their impressive SEC victory when other conference teams struggled, the Longhorns reclaimed their No. 1 position in the Associated Press college football poll. Sarkisian’s team received 52/61 first-place votes. Next up, they are going to travel away to face No. 18 Oklahoma (4-1), and Sarkisian may have the services of his starting QB.
The post Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter Humbled by Texas Longhorns Rival & It’s Not Quinn Ewers appeared first on EssentiallySports.
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