Hudson Card will start at quarterback for the Longhorns in Texas’ season opener against Louisiana on Sept. 4, according to news first reported by Horns247.

Card, a redshirt freshman, outdueled fourth-year quarterback Casey Thompson in a tight competition that spanned the entire offseason and had Texas fans anxiously awaiting who would be their new QB1 after Sam Ehlinger’s departure to the NFL.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian has held off on announcing who the starting quarterback would be to begin the season, but rumors in the past weeks have indicated that Card would be the choice.

“No, I haven’t named one,” Sarkisian told reporters on Thursday.

Sarkisian also said that the two quarterbacks continued to receive a 50/50 split for reps with the first team in practice that week. Horns247 reported that Sarkisian informed the quarterbacks of his decision Friday night and that both would play in the opener.

Card made brief appearances in just two games last season, but appears to have done enough in the offseason to win the job over Thompson, who replaced an injured Ehlinger in the 2020 Alamo Bowl and tied a Texas bowl game record with four touchdown passes.

Card graduated from Lake Travis High School in Austin ranked as a top-70 prospect nationally and the No. 4 dual threat quarterback in the 2020 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.