AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers will start Saturday's Red River Rivalry against No. 18 Oklahoma, coach Steve Sarkisian announced Thursday. Ewers missed nearly three full games with an oblique strain, suffered on Sept. 14 against UTSA. The junior quarterback had an extra week of recovery with a bye week before Saturday's tilt at the Cotton Bowl. Is Texas-OU college football’s greatest rivalry? On Monday, Sarkisian said Ewers returned to practice in recent weeks and felt "good" about Ewers returning “I want to see how he responds to extended work and what that looks like so he can be as healthy as can be to perform,” Sarkisian said Monday. “Quinn worked last week and practiced again today, and if anybody benefitted from the bye, it was him." Redshirt freshman Arch Manning finished the Longhorns' win against UTSA and made his first starts in a Texas uniform the following weeks -- wins against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, center, is helped after an injury during the first half of an NCAA college football game against UTSA in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, center, checks on quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) after an injury during the first half of an NCAA college football game against UTSA in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) stands on the sideline in street cloths after he was injured during an NCAA college football game against UTSA in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers stands on the side lines during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Manning played well in his starts, throwing for 583 yards and four touchdowns. Texas took over the No. 1 national ranking in the latest Associated Press and Coaches poll after a chaotic week in college football led to multiple top 10 upsets during Texas' bye week. Sarkisian has insisted Ewers would retain the starting quarterback spot once he was healthy, saying Ewers "deserves the right to be our starting quarterback." In 2022, Ewers returned from an injury right before the OU game, leading Texas to a 49-0 shutout of the Sooners. Billy Gates contributed to this story.