After enduring four trying years between starts, Texas QB Casey Thompson’s seizing his opportunity

A whole lot has happened between starts for Texas fourth-year quarterback Casey Thompson.

He’s been an understudy to Sam Ehlinger, preparing for his moment whenever it came. He’s been in — and out — of the transfer portal. He’s been an Alamo Bowl hero. He’s dealt with being passed over once again as the choice for QB1 just a few weeks ago.

Now the opportunity Thompson has waited for so long arrives Saturday when Texas hosts Rice, which is far removed from Oklahoma’s Newcastle High School. If Thompson can produce in his college starting debut, there’s a good chance of him continuing in the role for the Big 12 opener Sept. 25 with Texas Tech and — who knows? — maybe for the remainder of the season.

“I just realized today that the last time I started a game was November 2017, which is crazy,” Thompson said Tuesday. “I’m excited. I’ve waited a long time for this opportunity. I just think it’s a testament to perseverance and hard work.”

New Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has turned to Thompson in the wake of a 19-point loss to Arkansas. Starter Hudson Card, who won the preseason quarterback competition, didn’t seem quite ready for a charged road environment. Then Thompson led two second-half drives to give Texas a spark after Card quarterbacked the first 10 series.

“I was frustrated for the game, but I wasn’t taking it personally,” Thompson said. “It takes an extreme level of focus and mental focus to wait your turn. As soon as they called my name, I was ready to go in.”

In backup duty against Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas this season, Thompson has led four scoring drives on five possessions. Then there was his lights out performance against Colorado in the Alamo Bowl last season that included four touchdown passes in less than a half.

Albeit in very limited playing time in his career, Thompson has completed 69% of his passes with seven touchdowns and zero interceptions. His passer rating is a stratospheric 205.4.

Texas and Sarkisian are hoping those trends continue against a Rice team that led Arkansas at halftime and then got hammered by Houston last week.

“I saw more experience,” linebacker DeMarvion Overshown said of Thompson against Arkansas. “You could tell early on that Hudson was rattled. Then Casey went in. He used his legs really good and was able to escape.”

Added running back Bijan Robinson: “Nothing really rattled him, nothing really fazed him. Looked like he’s been there before.”

It might be because he has, at least everything short of starting a college game.

He still remembers when Sarkisian told him he wouldn’t be starting the season opener. He told Sarkisian he respected his decision then left the office.

“My mind-set was if I’m not going to get named [the starter] Week 1 and it’s not going to be given to me,” Thompson said, “then I have to go and take it myself.”

He went home and called his family. Then, probably wisely, he turned his phone off. He watched a little football on TV and then decided to binge watch some movies, turning to favorite actor Leonardo DiCaprio for “Inception” and “The Revenant.”

Although he had been in the transfer portal early in his Texas career, Thompson said he didn’t consider a repeat when he was passed over.

“At this point, I’m already in this thing and waited for my opportunity and waited for so long, there’s no way that I could just quit and let up at this point,” Thompson said. “My thought process was yeah, it hurt for a second and I’m going to let it sting.”

This week, Sarkisian reminded Thompson of their earlier meeting when he told him to be patient and that he would get his shot. Then he told Thompson he would start against Rice.

“He told me I don’t need to do anything superhuman. I don’t need to do anything extraordinary,” Thompson said. “Just keep working hard and executing the plays and being smart.”

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