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New York has seen athletes like Igor Shesterkin before. They come to the city heralded by years of hype. Their arrival marks a new era for their teams. Unfortunately, these young stars get chewed up and spit out by an unrelenting, impatient monster of a market. But some, like Shesterkin, exceed those expectations, enchant the city and become sensations.

Which is why, after just 108 career NHL games, “Igor-mania” is running wild in NYC.

The 26-year-old was the NHL’s top goaltender last season, winning the Vezina Trophy and finishing third in the MVP race. He has become the most popular member of the New York Rangers, despite playing only four seasons. He has quickly entered that pantheon of elite New York sports stars, sliding into the spot vacated by Henrik Lundqvist — one icon comfortably taking over for another, like the Mario Lemieux era fading into the Sidney Crosby years in Pittsburgh.

“I am amazed that you can go from the Garden chanting ‘Hen-rik’ to ‘I-gor.’ He’s as good as advertised,” Mike Richter told me this week.

Richter is second to Lundqvist in wins and games played as a Ranger but cemented his legacy by breaking a 54-year curse for the franchise in back-stopping them to the 1994 Stanley Cup championship. His number hangs from the Madison Square Garden rafters, right next to Lundqvist’s. Perhaps the only flaw in his career was that he didn’t have a chantable first name.

“Yeah, you need that two syllable thing,” he said, with a laugh. “They went with ‘Rich-ter.’ It was fine. I’ll take anything.”

They chanted “Ed-die!” and “Beez-er!” too. Perhaps it has been obscured by their lack of Stanley Cup success — one Stanley Cup since 1940, as any Islanders or Devils fan can quote from memory — but the Rangers have one of the NHL’s strongest goaltending legacies.

Starting in 1953, the Gump Worsley era led to the Ed Giacomin era; John Davison was the bridge to the John Vanbiesbrouck era, which overlapped with the Richter era; Richter retired in 2003, and Lundqvist arrived in 2006; Lundqvist’s last season with the Rangers was 2020, which is when Shesterkin arrived.

“Different personalities and different styles, but the common denominator is that we’re all competitors,” Richter said. “I think it’s a testament to how good their drafting is. You know, you don’t pull Henrik Lundqvist out of the seventh round without doing a little homework. Sometimes you get lucky, but there’s a pattern there.”

Richter spent all 14 years of his NHL career with the Rangers. He has been in Shesterkin’s skates before as a highly hyped novice goalie, finishing third in the Vezina voting as a rookie in 1990-91.

“Sometimes there’s an eyeroll about how much media coverage there is for New York teams. But with that comes a lot of challenges,” he said. “That’s part of the kind of bargain of playing in New York. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I know lots of athletes are hesitant to come to New York. Once they do, they recognize what an incredible place it is to play and to live. And that the people, you know, surprisingly don’t eat their babies or whatever. These are great people that have a lot of demand of their teams and are passionate. Good or bad, they’re going to let you know how they feel.”

So far, it has been a honeymoon for Shesterkin in New York. He earned his “I-gor!” chants by winning 68 of his first 108 NHL games. His .935 save percentage and 2.07 goals-against average last season led the NHL en route to the Vezina. He followed that with a playoff performance that dragged the Rangers to the Eastern Conference finals, with a .929 save percentage.

“He stole some games last year that we had no business being in,” Rangers forward Ryan Reaves told me. “You need a goalie like that for deep playoff runs.”

Reaves played four years with Marc-Andre Fleury and said Shesterkin is “up there with him” when it comes to those mind-boggling saves you see when they’re locked into a game. He said that effort starts well before those games.

“I always say that you’ve got a good goalie when he’s battling on second and third pucks in practice,” Reaves said. “I’ve played with goalies where you take the first shot, the rebound goes in front and he really doesn’t care. Shesty will battle. I think that’s why he’s so good. He treats every puck like it’s never going in his net.”

If there’s one common rejoinder about Shesterkin from his Rangers teammates, it’s that competitive fire. Good goalies don’t want opponents to score on them. Elite goalies truly believe that opponents never should.

“He does take it personally,” Reaves said.

The Rangers have learned to live with that intensity. There’s a Jekyll and Hyde aspect to Shesterkin, based on whether or not he’s playing.

“Depends on the day, I guess,” Reeves said, smiling. “No, he’s a great guy. It’s just on game days, he’s definitely quiet. He’s a goalie that needs to focus. Don’t talk to him. Stay out of his way. Don’t be yelling at him or anything like that. Unless you’re releasing him.”

Reaves is referring to a ritual built around Shesterkin as the Rangers are ready to hit the ice. It was a bit the veteran winger started in Vegas that he carried over to New York. Shesterkin stands in front of his teammates as they wait inside the locker room hallway. Reaves then screams, “SHESTY: RELEASE USSSSSSSS!” and the goalie leads the Rangers to the rink.

Naturally, it has inspired its own T-shirt.

“Igor-mania” isn’t just about his stats. It has also been sparked by the panache with which he plays and the inherent goofiness he inspires from teammates.

“He’s awesome. His personality is awesome in and around the rink,” defenseman K’Andre Miller said. “He’s a quiet guy obviously — doesn’t speak that much English. But he’s opened up a good amount the last couple of years.”

Miller said the language barrier — Shesterkin’s English has improved, but he still uses a team-provided interpreter — make him more endearing.

“I think that adds to his goofiness, not knowing those social cues or a couple of words,” he said.

For defenseman Ryan Lindgren, who has played with Shesterkin in the Rangers organization since the goalie arrived in North America, Shesterkin’s good nature has allowed him to thrive in a difficult market.

“It’s a big thing for goalies. Don’t overstress. Be big on game days, and on off days, you let it go,” he said. “There’s a lot of pressure being a goalie and then playing in New York as well. That’s why it’s good that he’s having fun, not putting too much pressure on himself.”

But personality didn’t primarily make Shesterkin a star. Don La Greca, co-host of “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN Radio in New York, draws a comparison with another local athlete in that regard: New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom.

“I don’t believe their personalities made them stars,” La Greca told me. “Both did it with their play. Both went from zero to 60 in a millisecond. Both did well in the postseason early in their careers.”

I asked La Greca how Shesterkin might surpass the accomplishments of Richter and Lundqvist, the two best Rangers goalies of the past 30 years.

“He has to win. Richter got the Cup. Hank had his looks and leadership along with his play to win people over,” La Greca said. “However, another way for Igor is his play with the puck. Mark my words: He will score a goal.”

Hopefully he does, and hopefully it happens at the Garden. In full disclosure, I was infected by “Igor-mania” while covering the Rangers’ playoff run last season. I’d put him right there with Connor McDavid, Cale Makar and Alex Ovechkin as players I’d pay to watch for their sheer entertainment value. It’s the way he makes those saves. It’s the way he handles the puck. It’s all the things that earn him those “I-gor!” chants echoing through the rafters where many of his predecessors in the Rangers’ crease have their numbers hanging.

You can feel it when an athlete has forged a bond with New York City. When they’re on a first-name basis with fans. When everyone knows that as long as they’re in the lineup, good things are possible.

“You go into every game knowing that you have a shot,” Reaves said. “If you’re in the middle of the game and he’s getting shelled and the boys don’t have it that night, then you’re like, ‘OK, we’ve gotta pick it up. But Shesty’s got us right now.'”

And New York’s got “Igor-mania” right now, too.

Jersey Foul of the week

From Jeff Veillette:

This P.K. Subban nameplate with a Carey Price number might be a confusing foul. But given their tight friendship as Montreal Canadiens teammates — remember the triple low-five? — perhaps this is a tribute jersey to the duo’s legacy for the bleu, blanc et rouge.

Video of the Week

If you’re not familiar with the Paul Marner discourse, he’s the father of Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner and has been a participant in several Toronto media news cycles.

In 2018, he spoke with The Athletic about Mitch and said, “It drives our family nuts when we hear you guys all talk about who should be the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Mitch never hardly gets any consideration,” while comparing his on-ice temperament to that of Hockey Hall of Famer Doug Gilmour.

He was prominently mentioned by fans during Mitch Marner’s contract talks with the Leafs, as they believed he was feeding information to local media.

With that context, I loved this aside from Mitch Marner on Tuesday, as the Leafs continued to struggle. When asked if friends and family know not to inundate the players with what has been said about them in the media, Marner said, “None of us really kind of read it. … I mean, I guess my father does.”

This video demands a 40-minute podcast by psychology and body language experts, immediately.

Winners and losers of the week

Winner: Erik Karlsson

It might not last and it’s around three years too late for the San Jose Sharks, but it’s really awesome to see Karlsson playing at his Norris Trophy-level, point-per-game dominance again.

Jeff Marek asked me during a radio hit if Karlsson is a Hall of Famer. He had a six-year stretch that was Hall of Fame-worthy. As Eric Lindros showed, that might be all you need to earn your plaque.

Loser: St. Louis Blues

GM Doug Armstrong felt the need to answer for his team’s 3-5-0 start, which has inexplicably seen the NHL’s third-best scoring team from last season (3.77 goals per game) become the NHL’s worst-scoring team this season (2.38). Ryan O’Reilly has one point in eight games — think he misses David Perron? Jordan Kyrou has three goals but has gone scoreless in six of eight games and is a minus-13.

The Western Conference is too good to stumble around for too long. See also: Predators, Nashville.

Winner: Lindy Ruff

Has a coach ever gone from having fans chanting for his firing at the start of the season to being a Jack Adams Award finalist by the end of the season? Because if the New Jersey Devils keep rolling, that could be Ruff’s tale for 2022-23.

Loser: Barry Trotz’s intentions

Trotz let it be known that he would be open to a return to coaching by December and told the “Cam and Strick” podcast that he would be interested in coaching an Original Six team. Given that four of those six have first-year head coaches and the Rangers have Gerard Gallant. … Well, needless to say, Trotz sent Toronto into a tizzy.

He clarified his comments with Bob McCown, saying that he just never had the chance to coach an Original Six team before and that it wasn’t a Toronto-specific comment.

Which meant he forgot the No. 1 rule in hockey media: Everything is about the Leafs.

Winner: Boston Bruins Winter Classic logo

The wordmark is cool and unique. But as many Boston fans told me, the reason to celebrate this Fenway Classic logo is the return of … ahem … “meth bear.”

Loser: Pittsburgh Penguins Winter Classic logo

While I respect the history behind using the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates logo as inspiration for the Penguins, their previous outdoor game jerseys have featured a tiny penguin in a little scarf. Anything else is a letdown.

Winner: Mullett Arena

Say what you will about the temporary home of the Arizona Coyotes — a college hockey arena on the campus of Arizona State University — but all the players who have competed there rave about the quality of the ice and the liveliness of the boards. “The ice was great. It was unbelievable. Even for warm-ups. It was awesome,” Winnipeg’s Cole Perfetti said.

Loser: Remaining at Mullett Arena

With the Tempe arena issue likely headed to the voters after the city council, and with the specter of potential litigation always looming, it’s looking like the Coyotes are going to have to pick up that optional fourth year in a college arena. Which is rough.

Puck headlines

  • The Sportico NHL franchise valuations were an interesting read. There are 10 teams valued at over a billion dollars. I would not have expected the Jets to be more valuable than 10 other NHL teams, but here we are.

  • John Tortorella has Sheldon Keefe’s back against the Toronto media: “I hope he jams it to you all, quite honestly.” Ouch!

  • What is going on with Shane Wright and the Seattle Kraken? “Given Wright’s main obstacle seems his lack of experience facing fully grown men, it’s tough to see how another season against players mostly 19 and under would help his development.”

  • Good piece by Stephen Whyno on how Bruce Boudreau has adapted through the years as an NHL head coach.

  • Getting to know PHF MVP Kennedy Marchment of the Connecticut Whale.

  • The Ottawa Senators are for sale, and the LeBreton Flats arena project holds the key to their future.

  • Really liked this piece on the current state of the Maple Leafs. “I can’t remember the last time I looked forward to watching this team. I still do watch, and sometimes I don’t even end up regretting it. But these days, with this team and its history, it feels like a slog. It’s duty, or force of habit. The wins don’t matter and the losses all blend together, so what are we doing here?”

  • How the Vancouver Canucks snagged Cobie Smulders for their pregame hype video. This reminds us of our favorite “How I Met Your Mother” moment, when Robin brags about meeting Mason Raymond and Barney proclaims is “the opposite of name dropping.”

From your friends at ESPN

Yours truly and Arda Ocal have taken our preview show “The Drop” and turned it into a weekly YouTube streaming show. Check out our Phil Kessel celebration, Roman Josi interview and much more.

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Notre Dame could have ‘gone sideways,’ instead it’s still fighting

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January 10, 2025

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Notre Dame could have 'gone sideways,' instead it's still fighting

  • Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterJan 10, 2025, 02:26 AM ET

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    • Senior college football writer
    • Author of seven books on college football
    • Graduate of the University of Georgia

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — On Sept. 7, Notre Dame fell to Northern Illinois, a 28-point underdog, in one of the most stunning defeats in the program’s storied history.

The then-No. 5 Fighting Irish not only lost to the Huskies at home, but they were manhandled by a Mid-American Conference program that had never beaten an AP top-10 opponent. Northern Illinois outgained the Irish 388-286 in total yardage, converted twice as many first downs, allowed just two plays longer than 19 yards and blocked two field goals.

For the Fighting Irish, who had won 23-13 at Texas A&M in their opener a week before, their season could have been over as it barely started.

“It could have gone sideways fast,” Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden said.

Four months later, the Fighting Irish are somehow one victory away from capturing their first national championship in 36 years.

Notre Dame defeated Penn State 27-24 on Mitch Jeter‘s 41-yard field goal with seven seconds left in a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl on Thursday night.

The No. 7 Fighting Irish will play the winner of Friday’s other semifinal between No. 5 Texas and No. 8 Ohio State at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in the Jan. 20 CFP National Championship presented by AT&T.

The team that couldn’t beat a four-touchdown underdog at home has now won 13 consecutive games — with a chance for one more, the biggest of them all.

“I often tell them, in your lowest moments you find out the most about yourself,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “We’ve had low moments, but we had a really low moment Week 2, and these guys battled. We’ve got great leaders. We’ve got great players that chose to put this university and this football program in front of themselves.”

Notre Dame’s coaches and players credit Freeman, who turned 39 at midnight after the game, with keeping the Irish on track after their stunning loss to Northern Illinois. It was an arduous task for a former defensive coordinator who had never been a head coach until he was promoted on Dec. 3, 2021, to replace Brian Kelly, who left for LSU.

“He handled it magnificently,” Golden said. “Just being in that situation, being in that chair like that, that’s tough. There’s no escape from it, but it never got to the locker room. It never got to the team meeting room. He handled all the stress and all the pressure internally, and was the leader that we all needed at that moment.”

Freeman didn’t want the Fighting Irish to wipe the pain of losing to Northern Illinois from their memory. He wanted them to embrace the adversity to remember that they can never take anything for granted.

Freeman’s message to his team was simple: Keep the pain. Don’t let it go.

“I think it really caused us to lock the locker room door and say, ‘Hey, it’s just us. The people in this room are the only things that matter,'” linebacker Jack Kiser said. “I think Coach Freeman’s message and mentality through the rest of the year kind of echoed that.”

The day after the loss to Northern Illinois, defensive tackle Howard Cross III huddled with Freeman and quarterback Riley Leonard.

“It’s the second game of the season,” Cross told them. “I’m not going to go belly up in the second game of the season. We need to keep pushing.”

The Irish won their next 12 games by an average of 27.5 points. Only one of them, a 31-24 victory over Louisville, was decided by fewer than 10.

After reaching the CFP, Notre Dame defeated Indiana 27-17 in a first-round game on Dec. 20, then Georgia 23-10 in a quarterfinal game at the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2.

“I think you learn the most about your team and the guys around you at the lowest points, and we showed who we were after that game,” said receiver Jordan Faison. “After that loss, it was devastating. Everyone felt bad about it, but being able to bounce back kind of shows the team and the grit we’ve got.”

The scar tissue from 124 days ago is what helped the Irish overcome season-ending injuries to several of their best players, including All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison and star pass rusher Rylie Mills.

It’s what helped them overcome injuries in their victory over Penn State. With the Irish trailing 10-0 late in the first half, Leonard had to leave the game after he was hit by defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas on an incomplete pass. They lost two starting offensive linemen, left tackle Anthonie Knapp and right guard Rocco Spindler, to injuries as well.

While Leonard was being examined for a potential concussion, backup quarterback Steve Angeli came off the bench and led the Irish on a 13-play scoring drive. Jeter kicked a 41-yard field goal on the final play of the half to make it 10-3.

Angeli had attempted only 28 passes this season before Thursday. He completed 6 of 7 attempts for 44 yards on his lone possession.

“We had a lot of confidence in Steve and what he can do, and we weren’t just going to put him in there to hand the ball off,” Freeman said. “We were going to go to try to score, and we ended up scoring three points.”

Leonard cleared concussion protocol at halftime and returned in the second half. He scored on a 3-yard run on the opening drive to tie the score at 10.

The Irish went ahead 17-10 on Jeremiyah Love‘s 2-yard run on the third play of the fourth quarter. But then Penn State tied the score on Nicholas Singleton’s 7-yard run with 10:20 to play.

After Leonard threw his second interception on the next play, Singleton scored again to give the Nittany Lions a 24-17 lead with 7:55 to play.

With less than five minutes remaining, Leonard threw a 54-yard touchdown to Jaden Greathouse, who was wide open after cornerback Cam Miller fell down. Greathouse juked safety Jaylen Reed and ran into the end zone to tie the score at 24.

Leonard completed 15 of 23 passes for 223 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He led the Irish on four scoring drives in the second half.

“He’s a competitor, and competitors find a way to win, and that’s what Riley does,” Freeman said. “That’s what this team does.”

It seemed like the game was headed to overtime after both teams punted in the final minutes.

But with 35 seconds left, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar tried to throw a pass away. Safety Jaylen Sneed hit Allar as he threw, and cornerback Christian Gray intercepted the ball at the Penn State 42 to set up Jeter’s winning field goal.

“That’s what Christian Gray does,” Freeman said. “He makes plays when it matters the most.”

The Fighting Irish will have to make a few more big plays against Ohio State or Texas if they’re going to win their first national championship since 1988. They’ll likely be underdogs in Atlanta, especially if they’re playing the high-powered Buckeyes, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“To see how far we’ve come after the hiccup early on, just to know that we have one more guaranteed, one last one guaranteed, it’s just so exciting,” Kiser said.

The Fighting Irish believe they wouldn’t be playing for a national title if they hadn’t been tested like few other teams.

The team that wouldn’t quit somehow keeps winning.

“The time you’re tested the most is when you’re at your lowest point,” Freeman said. “We lose to Northern Illinois and you’ve got a decision: Do I want to be selfless, or am I going to put individual glory ahead of myself? I hope the nation sees no matter what the situation was, this team continues to put Notre Dame in front of [itself].”

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Notre Dame outduels Penn St. to reach CFP final

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January 10, 2025

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Notre Dame outduels Penn St. to reach CFP final

  • Associated Press

Jan 9, 2025, 11:30 PM ET

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Penn State quarterback Drew Allar said he was trying to throw the ball into the ground. Notre Dame defensive back Christian Gray dove for it anyway and — luck of the Irish — the ball ended up right in his hands.

A few seconds later, Gray and Notre Dame found themselves with a spot in the national title game after a thrill-a-minute 27-24 victory over Penn State on Thursday night in the Orange Bowl.

Gray’s snag of Allar’s ill-advised pass across the middle at the Nittany Lions’ 42 with 33 seconds left set up a 19-yard drive that ended with Mitch Jeter‘s winning 41-yard field goal.

The Irish (14-1), seeded seventh in this, the first 12-team college playoff, will have a chance to bring their 12th title and first since 1988 back under the Golden Dome with a game Jan. 20 in Atlanta. Their opponent will be the winner Friday night of the Texas-Ohio State semifinal in the Cotton Bowl.

“Just catch the ball. Just catch the ball,” Gray said about his interception. “That was going through my mind, and I knew I was going to make a play.”

Allar explained he saw his first two options covered on the play, then wanted to throw the ball into the turf. But the throw, under pressure and across his body, didn’t have enough zip on it to reach either receiver Omari Evans or the ground before Gray slid in.

“Honestly, I was trying to throw it at his feet,” said the junior quarterback, considered by some to be a first-round pick if he leaves for the NFL. “I should’ve thrown it away when I saw the first two progressions were not open. I didn’t execute.”

It was the most memorable play of a game that was the best of what has been a sleepy few weeks of playoff football. It featured three ties, three lead changes and 31 points in the fourth quarter alone.

In the final, Irish coach Marcus Freeman will try to become the first Black head coach to win the title at college football’s highest level. Freeman, whose mother is South Korean, also is the first coach of Asian heritage to get this far.

“We found a way to make a play when it mattered the most,” Freeman said. “In my opinion, great teams, great programs, find a way to do that.”

Penn State coach James Franklin fell to 4-20 with the Nittany Lions against teams ranked in the AP Top 10.

“Everyone wants to look at a specific play,” Franklin said. “But there’s probably eight to 12 plays in that game that could have made a difference. I’m not going to call out specific plays or specific players. There are a ton of plays where we could have done better.”

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard shook off a hit late in the second quarter that sent him to the medical tent to be checked for a concussion. He came back and led the Irish on four scoring drives in the second half, including the last one.

“He’s a competitor and competitors find a way to win, and that’s what Riley does,” Freeman said. “That’s what this team does.”

Leonard finished with 223 yards passing, including a key 10-yard dart to Jaden Greathouse to convert third-and-3 on the last drive. Leonard also had 35 yards rushing, and passed and ran for a score each.

With 4:38 left in the game, the senior quarterback hit Greathouse for a 54-yard score to tie it at 24 after a defender slipped.

The game started slow, but Riley’s injury injected life into things. He led Notre Dame on TD drives of 75 and 72 yards in the third quarter to take a 17-10 lead.

At that point, the fun was just getting started.

Penn State had its chances, and Allar, along with all those Nittany Lions fans, will spend the offseason reliving that last throw — or trying to forget it.

Penn State forced a Notre Dame punt and looked assured of at least going to overtime when it took over at their 15 with 47 seconds left.

After a gain of 13, Allar dropped to pass and had pressure coming. He threw across his body to the middle of the field, where Gray dove for the pick.

A review showed it was a catch, and the Irish were onto the next step on a road that looked all but impossible when they fell 16-14 to Northern Illinois back in September.

Nick Singleton ran for 84 yards and all three Penn State touchdowns. Off target for much of the day, Allar finished 12 for 23 for 135 yards with the interception.

“He’s hurting right now. He should be. We’re all hurting,” Franklin said.

The quarterback didn’t duck questions about the play or his role in the loss.

“We didn’t win the game so it wasn’t good enough, it’s plain and simple,” Allar said. “I’ll try to learn from it, do everything in my power to get better and just grow from it.”

When Leonard went out, backup Steve Angeli came in and injected life into the Fighting Irish offense on the way to its first score.

Angelli went 6 for 7 for 44 yards and moved Notre Dame to field goal range to trim its deficit to 10-3 just before halftime.

“We have a lot of confidence in Steve,” Freeman said when asked why he allowed the Irish to play aggressively when he entered.

The kickoff temperature was 56 degrees, unseasonably cool for South Florida — and making it the second-coldest Orange Bowl ever, next to the Georgia Tech-Iowa game in 2010 that started at 49 and felt like the upper 30s.

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Horns’ Ewers leads ‘new era’ of college football

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January 10, 2025

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Horns' Ewers leads 'new era' of college football
Jan 9, 2025, 06:02 PM ET

ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday that quarterback Quinn Ewers, with the emergence of name, image and likeness and the transfer portal, has become the face of this “new era of college football.”

Ewers initially committed to Texas, but he then opted to skip his senior year of high school and reclassify to the 2021 recruiting class before enrolling a year early and joining Ohio State during preseason practice.

Still the nation’s No. 1 ranked overall prospect, Ewers landed one of the first marquee NIL deals worth $1.4 million.

Ewers, who lasted one season with the Buckeyes before transferring to Texas, will square off against Ohio State on Friday night in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl with a trip to the College Football Playoff national championship on the line.

“It’s not been an easy journey for him,” Sarkisian said Thursday. “There’s been ups, there’s been downs, there’s been injuries, there’s been great moments, there’s been tough moments. … But at the end of the day, he’s always stayed true to who he is. The guy’s been a steady sea for us.”

Ewers has been making college football headlines since Ohio State offered him a scholarship when he was just in middle school. This week, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day recalled meeting Ewers for the first time when he was an eighth-grader visiting a Buckeyes football camp.

“He was a boy at the time really, who just had a tremendous release,” Day recalled. “And I remember grabbing him and grabbing his dad and said, ‘Man, you got a bright future ahead of you. I don’t know if this is good or bad, but we’re going to offer you a scholarship to Ohio State.'”

C.J. Stroud, who has since led the Houston Texans to the NFL playoffs, emerged as a star quarterback for the Buckeyes then, prompting Ewers to transfer to Texas.

“Boy, it was strange how it all shook out,” Day said. “He decided he really wanted to play. And it was disappointing for us, but we certainly understood. From afar I’ve watched him. He’s a really good player. He comes from a great family, and he’s had a great career at Texas and a lot of people here still have good relationships with him and think the world of him.”

At Texas, Ewers has started in 27 wins and led the Longhorns to back-to-back playoff appearances. This season, he has thrown for 3,189 yards and 29 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.

Ewers noted that the “coolest part” of the NIL era is being able to provide for his parents. He has even hired his mom, making her CFO of his finances while giving her a salary.

“Which is nice just because all the effort and work they put into me growing up,” he said. “I mean, when we were living in South Texas, they both quit their jobs and moved up to Southlake [to support Ewers’ budding athletic career].”

Whatever happens in the playoff — whether it be a loss Friday or a national championship victory against the winner of Notre Dame–Penn State on Jan. 20 — Ewers’ career at Texas figures to be coming to a close.

Though Ewers still has one season of eligibility remaining, blue-chip quarterback prospect Arch Manning appears primed to finally take over in Austin next season.

Manning, the nephew of NFL quarterback greats Peyton and Eli Manning, who could become the No. 1 overall prospect for the 2026 NFL draft, has backed up Ewers for two seasons waiting for his opportunity. Sarkisian even momentarily benched Ewers in favor of Manning during Texas’ 30-15 loss to Georgia on Oct. 19.

Still, Ewers figures to have options.

ESPN football analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranks him as the No. 6 quarterback prospect eligible for the upcoming draft. Rumors have also emerged recently that Ewers could put off the NFL for another year and transfer to a third school for millions more in NIL money.

Amid those distractions, Ewers has thrived in the playoff bouncing back from oblique and ankle injuries from earlier in the year to complete 69% of his passes with four touchdowns in Texas’ two victories.

In the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl quarterfinal, Ewers tossed 29- and 25-yard touchdown passes in the overtimes, lifting Texas to the 39-31 win over Arizona State.

“I’ve just been proud of him,” Sarkisian said, “because he’s found a source for him that has been a motivating factor, where he can play free and play loose and play confident.”

Ewers added that, whatever the future holds, even contemplating it now would be “selfish,” with a national title still in reach for him and the Longhorns.

“I owe my teammates the best version of me right now,” he said. “I can’t be looking forward or I’ll trip on the rock that’s sitting right in front of me. I’ve got to be locked in on what’s right here.”

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