Almost as soon as the final throw of the Sugar Bowl fell in front of NFL-bound receiver Adonai Mitchell, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers had the media’s attention for one decision. Despite not even being eligible to drink alcohol, Ewers had the opportunity to do what every young football player in the country hopes for, become an NFL Draft pick.
Despite his three years in college and two as a starter for the Texas Longhorns, Ewers made a firm decision in early January. The Texas-born quarterback was returning for his third season in Austin, with hopes to become one of the best quarterbacks to ever put on the burnt orange jersey.
With five-star quarterback Arch Manning waiting in the depths and a CFB appearance behind him, Ewers had every reason to declare for the draft. So why did the quarterback stay in college?
“I think one of the main things for me was getting more experience under my belt,” Ewers said to the media during SEC Media Days. “There is a line of demarcation for guys who really have success in the league… there is a line of 25 starts (where) you see a jump in how their career went.”
Ewers noted a stat that usually holds true for NFL hopefuls coming out of college. Six quarterbacks were drafted in the first round of 2024, with UNC’s Drake Maye having the lowest total amount of starts in college under his belt. Still, Maye eclipsed the 25-game mark at 26 total starts, four more than Ewers has had in his three years in college. In fact, just one quarterback drafted in the first round in the last three years, Florida’s Anthony Richardson, has failed to hit that 25-start mark in college.
Ewers simply felt like he hadn’t gotten enough football under his belt. There are a few reasons for this: Ewers entered college a year early after reclassifying up a recruiting class, meaning he is younger than the average rising fourth-year college player. He sat out his first year in Columbus but dealt with injury both seasons in Austin. With more consistency, Ewers may have been a first-round caliber NFL quarterback, but he likely wasn’t going to be drafted there in 2024.
“I just kinda wanted to give myself a better chance to have a long and successful career in the NFL,” Ewers said. “I don’t want to be a guy that just comes and goes. I want to be somebody who is remembered.”
Jul 17, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers speaking at Omni Dallas Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports
The Longhorn quarterback has every chance to become more than just a guy in 2024. ESPN ranked Texas as the third-best team in the nation following spring practices, and Ewers has the third highest odds to win the Heisman, according to FanDuel.
Ewers is also eighth on the all-time passing leaderboards for Texas but needs just 2700 yards to surpass Major Applewhite for third on the list, just behind Longhorn legends Colt McCoy and Sam Ehlinger. He is also 3,500 combined passing and rushing yards away from passing Vince Young on the all-time list.
Ewers picked a good season to return, as this is the best pre-season Texas team since the Longhorns made the national championship 15 years ago. If Ewers has improved and is in New York for the Heisman race, the young man will have made a great decision coming back to College Football.
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Publish date : 2024-07-22 16:45:34
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