Quinn Ewers is one of the highest-rated prospects in the recruiting stars/grade era. Yet when you mention his name, it causes visceral reactions; you either love or hate him. Maybe it was members of the community hyping him too much (my bad) or the fact that he reclassified and joined Ohio State for a reported million-dollar deal; maybe it was the jump to Texas, or perhaps it was just the mullet. Whatever the reason, many believe Ewers has become just a name or is living solely on his recruiting star and perfect grade. This article will examine Quinn Ewers and what has led him to this point. Should we be buying back into the Ewers hype for 2023? Or should we be selling all shares while the iron is hot?
High School
In the state of Texas, football is king. More specifically, high school football. Friday nights are an experience as towns shut down and high school stadiums fill with families, friends, students, and scouts. This is no different in the town of Southlake, where the elite and common folk gather in Dragon Stadium, which boasts an eccentric 12,600 seats. Fans and family members will tailgate before games, and RVs will be parked around the stadium as if the Dallas Cowboys were in town. For the city of Southlake, every football game is a must-attend event.
You can find reports about Ewers’s natural ability to throw the ball as early as fourth-grade camps. In seventh grade, he earned his first offer from North Texas, and the following year, he received an offer from Urban Meyer and Ohio State. He would total 19 offers before taking a snap at Southlake High School.
As a freshman, Ewers was the backup punter. At sixteen, in his sophomore year, he started opening day for the Dragons. Ewers’ season opened their eyes, and those who didn’t know of him were made aware. He finished his season passing for 4,003 yards with an impressive 45/3 TD/Int ratio and a 72% completion percentage. He won the 2019 MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year, Texas District 5-6A Overall MVP, and was named Fort Worth Star-Telegram Male Athlete of the Year.
In what would ultimately be his final season in high school, as a junior, he would only play in eight games due to a core muscle injury. He passed for 2,442 yards, a 28/5 TD/Int ratio, and a 66% completion percentage. Ewers was required to get core muscle surgery. He came back for the playoffs but was not allowed to run to avoid causing further injury, as he came back before fully healed. He would help lead Southlake to the 6A-State championship game but would lose to Westlake and quarterback Cade Klubnik.
College
As many know, Ewers would forgo his senior high school season, reclassify to the 2021 class, and join Ohio State. For most of the season, Ewers was the fourth quarterback on the depth chart and only traveled with the team on their last two away games. He would take a whopping two total snaps for Ohio State in 2021. He would then transfer to Texas ahead of the 2022 season.
While in a reported battle during the spring season, Ewers would eventually win and become the starter for the Texas Longhorns. After looking impressive in two drives against Alabama, Ewers would get injured and miss the next three games. He would play the rest of the year but was up and down in every game and every week. Reports are that he suffered a finger injury ahead of the Oklahoma State game, where he was spotted wearing a glove, but nothing was confirmed.
The Good/Bad
Ewers has all the arm talent you want in a quarterback. He displays top-end velocity with an easy flick of his wrist. He can challenge all-three levels of the field. He can generate velocity with his arm or his base. Ewers knows how to play out of structure and can pass with accuracy and velocity off balance and on the run.
In this clip, Ewers launches a 50-yard bomb on a dot. He leads Worthy, and the ball hits his hands. Though Worthy ends up dropping the pass, Ewers places this perfectly for him. This throw displays arm strength. He’s moving backward with traffic in his face and launches this from the opposite hash to the far sideline.
Ewers can use his legs and make plays out of structure. His ability to throw off platform here and generate easy velocity but also incredible touch. He places the ball over the jumping cornerback. While a dangerous throw, you have to love he has the confidence even to try it. While some will say it’s luck, I’ll say it’s skill. His placement and ability to do this while on the move are incredible.
While some good throws are displayed above, you won’t have to look far to find the bad. Ewers’s footwork last year was downright atrocious. It’s the main contributing factor to his missed throws. At times he would hop in the pocket and fire off his back foot. Ewers would also tend to bounce on his toes and try and fire balls on his toes instead of planting his feet. He seemed to trust his arm more than he should at times in forcing throws that lead to interceptions. He would leave clean pockets, force throws in games against TCU, Oklahoma State, and Kansas, or cause incompletions. This, at times, seemed to be due to a lack of calm within the pocket.
Steve Sarkisian
Coach Sark has been credited as a quarterback developer for recent players such as Tua Tagovaiola and Mac Jones. His coaching helped get Jake Locker drafted in the first round out of Washington and Cody Kessler in the third round from USC. His pairing with Sark is something many believe will lead to success. Yet Sark’s offense has yet to live up to the hype of another offensive genius in Lincoln Riley. Sark has shown he can get the best out of his quarterbacks with different skill sets. Could Ewers’ second season in Sark’s offense be the year he’s unlocked?
Your Conclusion
Considering that Ewers missed almost two years of development, you may look at his first season as a starter a bit differently. Add in missing multiple games in his first year and suffering multiple injuries. The mantra is, “Quarterbacks need games to improve.” Ewers missed his entire senior season and most of his junior season. He went from being old for his class to one of the youngest. Going into his second season as a starter and having time to adjust to the college game and speed, we should see a different player. His footwork has reportedly improved; if this is the case, his accuracy is bound to follow. Regardless of what you think of the player, the tools are there. It’s up to Ewers to take back control and show us who he is.
2023 is Ewers’s time to shine. His offensive line ranked 184th out of 200 ranked college schools in pass-blocking efficiency. While playing multiple freshmen and getting a year under their belt, the line should improve immensely. His weapons are downright nasty. Xavier Worthy, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Johntay Cook, Isaiah Neyor, and Adonai Mitchell. Ewers will have plenty of help from his teammates, and a better understanding of Sark’s offense means the world is in his hands. Can he seize it? You tell me? Are you out on the player considered the best high school prospect since Trevor Lawrence? Or are you jumping back on the bandwagon? Cause I never left, and the Ewers Express will be leaving the forty acres soon on its way to the Heisman ceremony in 2023.
