dolphinheel
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I see pedal pushers
Ewers with Gruden
- Thread starter 67Stang
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The Athletic put 2 good articles on Ewers
Dolphins draft QB Quinn Ewers: How he fits, pick analysis and scouting intel
DALLAS, TEXAS - OCTOBER 12: Quinn Ewers #3 of the Texas Longhorns warms up prior to a game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Cotton Bowl Stadium on October 12, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
By Jayna Bardahl
April 26, 2025
The Miami Dolphins have added some depth in their quarterback room, selecting Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers with the No. 231 overall pick in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The nation’s No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2021, Ewers spent one season as a reserve at Ohio State (behind Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud) before transferring to his home-state Texas Longhorns.
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After an up-and-down 2022 season, Ewers refocused, losing 20 pounds and cutting his mullet, the latter of which his teammates said signaled a change in Ewers. Over the next two seasons, Ewers led Texas to back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances. His 21-4 record as a starter in his final two seasons was the best for a Texas starting quarterback since Colt McCoy went 25-2 in 2008 and 2009.
In 2023, Ewers set the record for the most passing yards in a Big 12 conference championship game (a career-high 452 in a 49-21 win against Oklahoma State), ending Texas’ 13-year conference title drought in the program’s last season before moving to the SEC.
Ewers missed time with various injuries in each of his college seasons, including two games with a torn oblique in 2024. Later in the 2024 season, he played through a high right ankle sprain that limited his mobility. In the 2024 Playoff, the Longhorns lost to eventual national champion Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl semifinal. Ewers finished the season with 3,472 passing yards, a 65.8 percent completion rate and a 31-to-12 TD-to-INT ratio.
2025 NFL DRAFT ANALYSIS
Don't miss our team's comprehensive coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft. Some highlights:
Our Day 3 live blog features the latest news and expert analysis.
Best available players: Who's left from Dane Brugler's top 300?
Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman grade the selections: Day 1 | 2
A running list of picks, from No. 1 through ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ at No. 257.
‘The Beast’ breakdown
Ewers ranked No. 86 in Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler has to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“Though he trusts his arm over mechanics, Ewers creates rotational torque to get the ball out quickly and plays with fast eyes within the structure of the offense. He didn’t have a ton of true dropbacks until third down, which is when his inconsistent pocket presence led to more negative results (sacks and turnovers) than you want to see (55.8 percent completions, 9-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio on third downs in 2024). The physicality of a long season wore on his body and, though he was willing to play through pain, his execution clearly was affected. Overall, Ewers has the arm, intelligence and poise that will translate to the next level, although his up-and-down decision-making, limitations as a play extender and durability concerns create question marks for his pro ceiling. If he stays healthy, the tools are there to compete for NFL starting reps.”
Dolphins draft QB Quinn Ewers: How he fits, pick analysis and scouting intel
DALLAS, TEXAS - OCTOBER 12: Quinn Ewers #3 of the Texas Longhorns warms up prior to a game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Cotton Bowl Stadium on October 12, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
By Jayna Bardahl
April 26, 2025
The Miami Dolphins have added some depth in their quarterback room, selecting Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers with the No. 231 overall pick in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The nation’s No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2021, Ewers spent one season as a reserve at Ohio State (behind Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud) before transferring to his home-state Texas Longhorns.
ADVERTISEMENT
After an up-and-down 2022 season, Ewers refocused, losing 20 pounds and cutting his mullet, the latter of which his teammates said signaled a change in Ewers. Over the next two seasons, Ewers led Texas to back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances. His 21-4 record as a starter in his final two seasons was the best for a Texas starting quarterback since Colt McCoy went 25-2 in 2008 and 2009.
In 2023, Ewers set the record for the most passing yards in a Big 12 conference championship game (a career-high 452 in a 49-21 win against Oklahoma State), ending Texas’ 13-year conference title drought in the program’s last season before moving to the SEC.
Ewers missed time with various injuries in each of his college seasons, including two games with a torn oblique in 2024. Later in the 2024 season, he played through a high right ankle sprain that limited his mobility. In the 2024 Playoff, the Longhorns lost to eventual national champion Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl semifinal. Ewers finished the season with 3,472 passing yards, a 65.8 percent completion rate and a 31-to-12 TD-to-INT ratio.
2025 NFL DRAFT ANALYSIS
Don't miss our team's comprehensive coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft. Some highlights:
Our Day 3 live blog features the latest news and expert analysis.
Best available players: Who's left from Dane Brugler's top 300?
Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman grade the selections: Day 1 | 2
A running list of picks, from No. 1 through ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ at No. 257.
‘The Beast’ breakdown
Ewers ranked No. 86 in Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler has to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“Though he trusts his arm over mechanics, Ewers creates rotational torque to get the ball out quickly and plays with fast eyes within the structure of the offense. He didn’t have a ton of true dropbacks until third down, which is when his inconsistent pocket presence led to more negative results (sacks and turnovers) than you want to see (55.8 percent completions, 9-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio on third downs in 2024). The physicality of a long season wore on his body and, though he was willing to play through pain, his execution clearly was affected. Overall, Ewers has the arm, intelligence and poise that will translate to the next level, although his up-and-down decision-making, limitations as a play extender and durability concerns create question marks for his pro ceiling. If he stays healthy, the tools are there to compete for NFL starting reps.”
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Will Quinn Ewers’ 7th-round slide influence prospects’ decisions to go pro or take NIL money.
Outside of the Shedeur Sanders drama, one of the biggest stories of this year’s NFL Draft was the slide of quarterback Quinn Ewers, the former highly-touted recruit who won big at Texas but ended up as a seventh-round pick by the Miami Dolphins.
Ewers passed up a lot of money by opting to go pro, leading some to wonder whether it was the right call.
The Athletic’s Chris Vannini and Sam Khan covered Ewers during his time at Texas and decided to turn a text conversation into a more fleshed-out discussion over Ewers’ draft result.
Vannini: Sam, while so much draft attention was on Shedeur, you and I were more interested in Ewers’ slide. Unlike Sanders, Ewers had more college eligibility remaining. He turned down a lot of money to jump into the draft, and now we know where he ended up.
Despite having a draft party set up and cameras in that room with all kinds of animal heads mounted on the wall, Ewers had to wait until the seventh round, going 231st to the Dolphins on Saturday.
It sets up an interesting question: Did he make the right decision?
But before we get into that, what did you think about him falling so far? I couldn’t believe he dropped below several quarterbacks who went ahead of him.
Khan: I was surprised. I expected he would be picked somewhere between the third and fifth rounds. Dane Brugler, our NFL Draft expert, had a third-round grade on Ewers in “The Beast.” I understood the concerns about him. He suffered injuries in all three years at Texas. His deep-ball accuracy left a lot to be desired. His pocket awareness was questionable at times.
QB
6
TOP 100 RANK
86
MIA
RD
7
PK
15
Quinn Ewers
TEXAS
HT6′2″ WT214 YR4JR AGE22.12
Questions abound, but Ewers’ arm, intelligence and poise will translate to the NFL
Read the full profile on
But there were enough good things about his game — his arm strength, quick release, touch, toughness and poise — that I figured someone would take a flier on him sooner than the seventh round.
There were definitely skeptics in NFL scouting circles, though. I spoke to one after Ewers declared who said he thought Ewers projected to be a solid backup in the league and could start in a pinch but didn’t view him as a long-term, multiyear starter.
Ewers’ fall in the draft got people talking Saturday, wondering if he should have stayed one more year in college ball. What do you think?
ADVERTISEMENT
Vannini: I don’t know how long he’ll last in the NFL, but I would’ve drafted him ahead of Graham Mertz and Riley Leonard, who went in the sixth round, and probably even Dillon Gabriel and Jalen Milroe, who went in the third.
It’s undoubtedly true that he left more money on the table by going pro than returning to college (which remains wild to say). He would’ve needed to transfer, as Texas begins the Arch Manning era, but an accomplished veteran like Ewers likely would have gotten at least $4 million in NIL for 2025 alone, given the money allotted to Carson Beck at Miami and Darian Mensah at Duke in this past portal cycle. Per Spotrac, Ewers’ draft slot is valued at $4.3 million total over four years, and that’s if he lasts that long in the NFL.
It was a mistake for Ewers to leave college football early. Tell me why you think I’m wrong.
Khan: I never got the sense Ewers had a desire to transfer and finish his career anywhere other than Texas. He grew up rooting for the Longhorns, and being the starting quarterback on the Forty Acres was his dream. He helped lift the program from the doldrums and took it to consecutive College Football Playoff semifinal appearances. He’s secure in the legacy he left.
Could he have made a lot of NIL cash in 2025 at another school? Of course. But he has already made quite a bit since getting to college. He signed a $1.4 million memorabilia deal as soon as he reclassified and enrolled early at Ohio State in 2021. He racked up double-digit NIL deals during his three years at Texas, including a national Dr Pepper commercial, the cover of EA Sports College Football 25, New Era, Lucchese and even one with a private jet company. That’s not to mention whatever he was paid in NIL from the Texas One Fund, the school’s collective. He did well for himself at Texas.
I don’t think money was a huge motivating factor in the decision for him to go pro. He considered going pro after the 2023 season. I think he was ready, especially in a quarterback class that didn’t appear to be very deep.
WHAT YOU SHOULD READ NEXT
Quinn Ewers
Dolphins draft QB Quinn Ewers: How he fits, pick analysis and scouting intel
The Dolphins added depth at quarterback, selecting Ewers with the No. 231 pick.
Vannini: That’s a fair point. It’s easy for me, someone who hasn’t made millions, to say someone else made a mistake in passing up on a few guaranteed million. But man, that’s still a lot of money!
The draft stock relative to his class was a point I bought into before the draft. This was not a good crop of quarterbacks, and next year’s is, meaning Ewers’ stock probably wouldn’t get higher. That was a good reason to go. Like you said, he was projected to go closer to the middle of the draft.
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So it’s purely hindsight, but I think if you told Ewers he’d be a seventh-round pick and barely make it into the field, he might reconsider. Do you think he would? Or was he fully ready to move on with his football life?
Khan: If there was any degree of certainty of his being a seventh-round pick when he declared for the draft in January, I’d have to think that would have weighed heavily in his decision. But that’s not the reality. Draft prospects get grades and projections in the winter, before all the heavy lifting is done scouting-wise, and have to decide before they know what their stock is.
At the time he made the decision, I thought he made the right one. He put 36 starts’ worth of tape on his resume. We saw it all, from the peaks in wins at Alabama and Michigan to the valleys in losses at Oklahoma State and to Georgia. He took Texas to great heights and performed well in his lone season in the SEC. How much would another 12 starts at another school really do for him in the eyes of scouts? If you don’t believe me, ask Brugler, who felt the same way at the time.
I ask that also taking Ewers’ injury history into consideration: a clavicle injury in 2022, an AC joint sprain in 2023 and an oblique injury that bothered him for a large chunk of 2024. Durability issues probably played into why he fell so far. But if he truly believed and received intel that he was a Day 2 or early Day 3 pick, that seemed like a safer bet in January than spending another full season in college football, hoping to stay healthy a full year. Not to mention, he’d be at a new place, in a new offense, with a new supporting cast and coaches. At Texas, he had the best of all those things: elite weapons, great coaches and an explosive, diverse offense to show off his skills.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ultimately, I think Ewers was ready to take the next step. Though he went way later than he hoped, Miami should be a great spot for him. He won’t be under pressure to be the starter with Tua Tagovailoa and Zach Wilson there. But I wouldn’t be shocked if, once he develops, he sees the field and makes an impact.
Vannini: I agree. Like I said, I like his chances to stick in the league more than some other guys who got drafted, and Miami could be a good fit.
It remains a wild but true fact that many college football players are taking a pay cut in the NFL, especially quarterbacks. San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy, who has played in a Super Bowl, made about $1 million per year the past three years as the last pick in the draft. A lot of college quarterbacks make more than that. It’s what happens when the free market meets college football. If Ewers sticks around and gets to that second NFL contract, this could all pay off.
Ewers came into Texas with sky-high expectations as a perfect 1.000-rated recruit by 247Sports and accomplished so much. He led Texas “back” and turned the meme into a reality. He won a lot of big games and a Big 12 championship with MVP honors, and he earned second-team All-SEC and was twice a few plays away from playing for a national championship.
It’s too bad the end of his career was partly overshadowed by the Arch Manning Industrial Complex and that he slid lower in the draft than expected, but I had a lot of fun watching him at Texas, and his Longhorn legacy should be a good one as he heads into the next chapter.
Khan: I often thought the perfect recruiting rating put Ewers in the crosshairs and brought more scrutiny than maybe he deserved sometimes. I also wonder if reclassifying affected his development rather than if he had finished his high school career the traditional way. Bottom line, he was a good college quarterback who accomplished a lot. So often, he was criticized for what he wasn’t, thanks in part to the famous last name of the guy who backed him up. But he handled it well, and the pressures he faced in his career should serve him well at the next level.
ADVERTISEMENT
At the end of the day, Ewers has a chance. I’m fascinated to see what he does with it. One thing he proved throughout his career is that not much rattles him. And though this weekend was probably disappointing for him, I bet he’ll bounce back like he did throughout his Texas career.
He was the last Texas player to get picked in another terrific draft for the program. A school-record 12 Longhorns were selected, which marks the second consecutive year the program has produced double-digit draft picks. In 2022, Texas had none, which underscores how much and how quickly things have changed in Austin. Steve Sarkisian seems to have built a solid foundation that will keep the Longhorns contending for titles and producing draft picks for years to come.
Outside of the Shedeur Sanders drama, one of the biggest stories of this year’s NFL Draft was the slide of quarterback Quinn Ewers, the former highly-touted recruit who won big at Texas but ended up as a seventh-round pick by the Miami Dolphins.
Ewers passed up a lot of money by opting to go pro, leading some to wonder whether it was the right call.
The Athletic’s Chris Vannini and Sam Khan covered Ewers during his time at Texas and decided to turn a text conversation into a more fleshed-out discussion over Ewers’ draft result.
Vannini: Sam, while so much draft attention was on Shedeur, you and I were more interested in Ewers’ slide. Unlike Sanders, Ewers had more college eligibility remaining. He turned down a lot of money to jump into the draft, and now we know where he ended up.
Despite having a draft party set up and cameras in that room with all kinds of animal heads mounted on the wall, Ewers had to wait until the seventh round, going 231st to the Dolphins on Saturday.
It sets up an interesting question: Did he make the right decision?
But before we get into that, what did you think about him falling so far? I couldn’t believe he dropped below several quarterbacks who went ahead of him.
Khan: I was surprised. I expected he would be picked somewhere between the third and fifth rounds. Dane Brugler, our NFL Draft expert, had a third-round grade on Ewers in “The Beast.” I understood the concerns about him. He suffered injuries in all three years at Texas. His deep-ball accuracy left a lot to be desired. His pocket awareness was questionable at times.
QB
6
TOP 100 RANK
86
MIA
RD
7
PK
15
Quinn Ewers
TEXAS
HT6′2″ WT214 YR4JR AGE22.12
Questions abound, but Ewers’ arm, intelligence and poise will translate to the NFL
Read the full profile on
But there were enough good things about his game — his arm strength, quick release, touch, toughness and poise — that I figured someone would take a flier on him sooner than the seventh round.
There were definitely skeptics in NFL scouting circles, though. I spoke to one after Ewers declared who said he thought Ewers projected to be a solid backup in the league and could start in a pinch but didn’t view him as a long-term, multiyear starter.
Ewers’ fall in the draft got people talking Saturday, wondering if he should have stayed one more year in college ball. What do you think?
ADVERTISEMENT
Vannini: I don’t know how long he’ll last in the NFL, but I would’ve drafted him ahead of Graham Mertz and Riley Leonard, who went in the sixth round, and probably even Dillon Gabriel and Jalen Milroe, who went in the third.
It’s undoubtedly true that he left more money on the table by going pro than returning to college (which remains wild to say). He would’ve needed to transfer, as Texas begins the Arch Manning era, but an accomplished veteran like Ewers likely would have gotten at least $4 million in NIL for 2025 alone, given the money allotted to Carson Beck at Miami and Darian Mensah at Duke in this past portal cycle. Per Spotrac, Ewers’ draft slot is valued at $4.3 million total over four years, and that’s if he lasts that long in the NFL.
It was a mistake for Ewers to leave college football early. Tell me why you think I’m wrong.
Khan: I never got the sense Ewers had a desire to transfer and finish his career anywhere other than Texas. He grew up rooting for the Longhorns, and being the starting quarterback on the Forty Acres was his dream. He helped lift the program from the doldrums and took it to consecutive College Football Playoff semifinal appearances. He’s secure in the legacy he left.
Could he have made a lot of NIL cash in 2025 at another school? Of course. But he has already made quite a bit since getting to college. He signed a $1.4 million memorabilia deal as soon as he reclassified and enrolled early at Ohio State in 2021. He racked up double-digit NIL deals during his three years at Texas, including a national Dr Pepper commercial, the cover of EA Sports College Football 25, New Era, Lucchese and even one with a private jet company. That’s not to mention whatever he was paid in NIL from the Texas One Fund, the school’s collective. He did well for himself at Texas.
I don’t think money was a huge motivating factor in the decision for him to go pro. He considered going pro after the 2023 season. I think he was ready, especially in a quarterback class that didn’t appear to be very deep.
WHAT YOU SHOULD READ NEXT
Quinn Ewers
Dolphins draft QB Quinn Ewers: How he fits, pick analysis and scouting intel
The Dolphins added depth at quarterback, selecting Ewers with the No. 231 pick.
Vannini: That’s a fair point. It’s easy for me, someone who hasn’t made millions, to say someone else made a mistake in passing up on a few guaranteed million. But man, that’s still a lot of money!
The draft stock relative to his class was a point I bought into before the draft. This was not a good crop of quarterbacks, and next year’s is, meaning Ewers’ stock probably wouldn’t get higher. That was a good reason to go. Like you said, he was projected to go closer to the middle of the draft.
ADVERTISEMENT
So it’s purely hindsight, but I think if you told Ewers he’d be a seventh-round pick and barely make it into the field, he might reconsider. Do you think he would? Or was he fully ready to move on with his football life?
Khan: If there was any degree of certainty of his being a seventh-round pick when he declared for the draft in January, I’d have to think that would have weighed heavily in his decision. But that’s not the reality. Draft prospects get grades and projections in the winter, before all the heavy lifting is done scouting-wise, and have to decide before they know what their stock is.
At the time he made the decision, I thought he made the right one. He put 36 starts’ worth of tape on his resume. We saw it all, from the peaks in wins at Alabama and Michigan to the valleys in losses at Oklahoma State and to Georgia. He took Texas to great heights and performed well in his lone season in the SEC. How much would another 12 starts at another school really do for him in the eyes of scouts? If you don’t believe me, ask Brugler, who felt the same way at the time.
I ask that also taking Ewers’ injury history into consideration: a clavicle injury in 2022, an AC joint sprain in 2023 and an oblique injury that bothered him for a large chunk of 2024. Durability issues probably played into why he fell so far. But if he truly believed and received intel that he was a Day 2 or early Day 3 pick, that seemed like a safer bet in January than spending another full season in college football, hoping to stay healthy a full year. Not to mention, he’d be at a new place, in a new offense, with a new supporting cast and coaches. At Texas, he had the best of all those things: elite weapons, great coaches and an explosive, diverse offense to show off his skills.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ultimately, I think Ewers was ready to take the next step. Though he went way later than he hoped, Miami should be a great spot for him. He won’t be under pressure to be the starter with Tua Tagovailoa and Zach Wilson there. But I wouldn’t be shocked if, once he develops, he sees the field and makes an impact.
Vannini: I agree. Like I said, I like his chances to stick in the league more than some other guys who got drafted, and Miami could be a good fit.
It remains a wild but true fact that many college football players are taking a pay cut in the NFL, especially quarterbacks. San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy, who has played in a Super Bowl, made about $1 million per year the past three years as the last pick in the draft. A lot of college quarterbacks make more than that. It’s what happens when the free market meets college football. If Ewers sticks around and gets to that second NFL contract, this could all pay off.
Ewers came into Texas with sky-high expectations as a perfect 1.000-rated recruit by 247Sports and accomplished so much. He led Texas “back” and turned the meme into a reality. He won a lot of big games and a Big 12 championship with MVP honors, and he earned second-team All-SEC and was twice a few plays away from playing for a national championship.
It’s too bad the end of his career was partly overshadowed by the Arch Manning Industrial Complex and that he slid lower in the draft than expected, but I had a lot of fun watching him at Texas, and his Longhorn legacy should be a good one as he heads into the next chapter.
Khan: I often thought the perfect recruiting rating put Ewers in the crosshairs and brought more scrutiny than maybe he deserved sometimes. I also wonder if reclassifying affected his development rather than if he had finished his high school career the traditional way. Bottom line, he was a good college quarterback who accomplished a lot. So often, he was criticized for what he wasn’t, thanks in part to the famous last name of the guy who backed him up. But he handled it well, and the pressures he faced in his career should serve him well at the next level.
ADVERTISEMENT
At the end of the day, Ewers has a chance. I’m fascinated to see what he does with it. One thing he proved throughout his career is that not much rattles him. And though this weekend was probably disappointing for him, I bet he’ll bounce back like he did throughout his Texas career.
He was the last Texas player to get picked in another terrific draft for the program. A school-record 12 Longhorns were selected, which marks the second consecutive year the program has produced double-digit draft picks. In 2022, Texas had none, which underscores how much and how quickly things have changed in Austin. Steve Sarkisian seems to have built a solid foundation that will keep the Longhorns contending for titles and producing draft picks for years to come.
Austin Tatious
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Ewers comes across as likable in the video.
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- 33,788
I know there is but there isn’t a lot of data proving your point
2022:
- 9/10/22: Clavicle sprain on left shoulder
2023:
- 10/21/23: Grade 2 AC joint sprain in throwing shoulder
2024:
- 9/7/24: Torn oblique (played through it for remainder of season)
- 11/23/24: Ankle sprain
Aqua Man
Scout Team
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If we start over YET AGAIN at HC, I want the choice to be Gruden oh so badly for the sole reason that every single poster in here that equates a guy being macho and manly as being necessary in order to be a successful HC will zero excuses if it doesn’t work.
With Ewers I hope he works out , as far as Gruden we all make mistakes in life..time to move on
stillhardcore
Active Roster
That is true. I think gruden would bring lots more experience in situational play-calling and could attract good, up-and-coming asst's. Having said that, I think McD did well in landing Weaver, but that may be that Weaver saw opportunity to move up the ladder in Miami. I still believe if McD fails this year (no playoff win) that he will be canned and Weaver will be made HC.
Just got done watching the whole thing and it was awesome so thank you for sharing. I like his chances in the NFL and totally rooting for him. I like him as a QB and for what the things he said, I like him even more as a person.
Aqua Man
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I think regardless of how the rest of McD’s time goes in Miami, one thing that can be said about the man is that he’s done a great job of attracting quality assistants and he doesn’t have any fear of bringing in an up and comer like Weaver.
I love McD and I’m hoping he proves the doubters wrong and has a good enough 2025 to remain our HC. But if he doesn’t hold onto the job, the only qualification I care about is Ross hiring the most Alpha type he can just so the constant complaining about needing an alpha will finally stop.
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Great write up on Ewers from Dane Brugler:
TOP 100 RANK
86
MIA
RD
6′2″
WT
214
YR
4JR
AGE
22.11
Overview
HOMETOWN
Southlake, TX
HIGH SCHOOL
Carroll
BIRTHDAY
March 15, 2003
JERSEY
#3
A three-year starter at Texas, Ewers operated well in head coach Steve Sarkisian’s RPO-based spread scheme with heavy pre-snap movement (shifts, double motions, return motions, etc.). After a high-profile recruitment and transfer, he made key improvements over his time in Austin and engineered one of the best back-to-back runs in Longhorns history (25 total wins and two straight College Football Playoff appearances).
Though he trusts his arm over mechanics, Ewers creates rotational torque to get the ball out quickly and plays with fast eyes within the structure of the offense. He didn’t have a ton of true dropbacks until third down, which is when his inconsistent pocket presence led to more negative results (sacks and turnovers) than you want to see (55.8 percent completions, 9-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio on third downs in 2024). The physicality of a long season wore on his body and, though he was willing to play through pain, his execution clearly was affected. Overall, Ewers has the arm, intelligence and poise that will translate to the next level, although his up-and-down decision-making, limitations as a play extender and durability concerns create question marks for his pro ceiling. If he stays healthy, the tools are there to compete for NFL starting reps.
GRADE3rd Round
Testing
TYPE HT WT HAND ARM WING 40 20 10 VJ BJ SS 3C BP NOTES
Combine 6021 214 93/8″ 303/4″ 75″ DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP Pos. drills only (choice)
Pro Day 6020 215 93/8″ 311/8″ 751/8″ DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Strengths
Natural ball-handling skills with lightning-fast release, especially on RPOs
Comfortable delivering dots when throwing off platform
Able to access various arm angles and release points without sacrificing velocity
Throws well to areas — very good curl/comeback passer
Displays touch to all areas (64 completions of 20 yards or more ranked fourth in FBS in 2024)
Eye use and ability to hold/manipulate defenders improved each season
Experienced changing protections at line based on pre-snap reads
Able to execute subtle moves/slides in pocket to avoid rush
Stays clear-minded, regardless of score or situation — coaches say he doesn’t “ride the emotional roller coaster” (see fourth-and-13 overtime touchdown on Arizona State tape)
Several of best performances (2023 Alabama, 2024 Michigan) came in true road games (Steve Sarkisian: “He’s a very calm guy … (who) doesn’t get affected by crowd noise.”)
Experienced starter; posted 27-9 record at Texas (11-1 in true road games), including back-to-back playoff appearances
Weaknesses
Not a bad athlete but legs don’t present daunting threat
Frequently drops eyes when moved from his spot — shrinking pockets make him uncomfortable
Too many frazzled decisions as passer and fooled at times by underneath zone defenders
Most interceptions on 2024 tape came to the right and outside the numbers (see 2024 SEC title game vs. Georgia)
Inconsistent deep-ball placement, often leaving throws short and creating turnover opportunities (completed just six of 24 attempts of more than 20 yards between the numbers in 2024)
Feel for touch to feather throws but needs to unload fastball more often
Fumbled 10 times in 2024 (20 over his three seasons as starter)
Average body type and missed time each season because of injury: missed two games as junior with strained oblique (Sept. 2024); high right ankle sprain later that season (Nov. 2024) — didn’t miss any time, but injury limited mobility; missed two games as sophomore because of Grade 2 AC joint sprain in right (throwing) shoulder (Oct. 2023); missed three games as redshirt freshman after spraining left clavicle (Sept. 2022); missed six games in final season of high school because of sports hernia, which required surgery (Oct. 2020
Background
Quinn Ewers (YOU-ers), who has an older sister (Kailey) and younger sister (Teddy-Raye), was born in San Antonio and grew up in the small town of Pleasanton, Texas (south of San Antonio), with his parents (Curtis and Kristen). His father works in the oil and gas field; mother is an elementary school teacher. Ewers started throwing passes with his father at age 3 and was a natural in several sports in elementary school. When he was in the third grade, in 2011, his family relocated for Curtis’ job to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and settled in the football-rabid city of Southlake. Coached by his father, Ewers played quarterback for his pee wee team and started working with quarterback coach Joe McCulley in fourth grade. Ewers gained steam throughout middle school as one of the best up-and-coming quarterbacks in Texas, and he led his 7-on-7 Southlake team to multiple championships, including a state title in the summer of 2016. He also played basketball, baseball and golf, as well as outdoor activities, such as hunting and fishing. Ewers started training in high school with movement performance coach Bobby Stroupe.
Ewers enrolled at Southlake Carroll High, a perennial state title contender and program built by former NFL quarterbacks such as Greg McElroy and Chase Daniel. As a freshman in 2018, he saw time on varsity as the backup punter. Ewers became the varsity starting quarterback as a sophomore and led Carroll to a 13-1 record, its only loss coming in the 2019 6A state quarterfinal playoffs. He earned second-team all-state and district MVP honors in his first year as a starter with 72.4 percent completions (291 of 402) for 4,003 yards, 45 touchdowns and three interceptions, adding 568 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. As a junior All-American, Ewers passed for 2,442 yards and 28 touchdowns in eight games but missed six games midseason because of a core muscle injury, which required surgery. He returned for the 2020 playoffs and led Carroll to the 6A state championship game, where it lost to Westlake. After initially planning to return for his senior season, Ewers elected to reclassify and enroll in college in the summer of 2021. He finished his prep career with 6,445 passing yards and 85 total touchdowns in his 22 starts. Ewers also lettered in baseball at Southlake Carroll.
A five-star recruit, Ewers was the top-ranked quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class, the No. 1 recruit in Texas and the No. 1 recruit nationally. He became just the sixth player to receive a perfect 1.0000 recruiting rating, joining Jadeveon Clowney, Rashan Gary, Vince Young, Robert Nkemdiche and Ernie Sims. Ewers received his first scholarship offer in seventh grade from North Texas. The summer after eighth grade, he picked up his first major offer from Urban Meyer and Ohio State (June 2018). Before he started a game in high school, Ewers added offers from Arkansas, Florida, Michigan, Michigan State, SMU and Texas A&M. Midway through his sophomore season, he received an offer from Texas, the program he’d grown up idolizing as a kid.
Ewers committed to the Longhorns in August 2020 but backed off that pledge midway through the 2020 season, as Tom Herman’s program was struggling. Less than a month later, Ewers committed to Ohio State and head coach Ryan Day. After being informed that he would not be able to receive NIL money and remain eligible, Ewers elected to skip his senior season of high school and enroll at Ohio State in August 2021. Stuck behind C.J. Stroud on the depth chart (and homesick), Ewers entered the transfer portal in December 2021. With Steve Sarkisian now the head coach at Texas, Ewers transferred to the Longhorns. He earned more than $1 million in NIL money before starting a game in college football and just shy of $2 million during the 2024 season, according to reports. Ewers elected to skip his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. Ewers declined his invitation to the Senior Bowl.
TOP 100 RANK
86
MIA
RD
6′2″
WT
214
YR
4JR
AGE
22.11
Overview
HOMETOWN
Southlake, TX
HIGH SCHOOL
Carroll
BIRTHDAY
March 15, 2003
JERSEY
#3
A three-year starter at Texas, Ewers operated well in head coach Steve Sarkisian’s RPO-based spread scheme with heavy pre-snap movement (shifts, double motions, return motions, etc.). After a high-profile recruitment and transfer, he made key improvements over his time in Austin and engineered one of the best back-to-back runs in Longhorns history (25 total wins and two straight College Football Playoff appearances).
Though he trusts his arm over mechanics, Ewers creates rotational torque to get the ball out quickly and plays with fast eyes within the structure of the offense. He didn’t have a ton of true dropbacks until third down, which is when his inconsistent pocket presence led to more negative results (sacks and turnovers) than you want to see (55.8 percent completions, 9-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio on third downs in 2024). The physicality of a long season wore on his body and, though he was willing to play through pain, his execution clearly was affected. Overall, Ewers has the arm, intelligence and poise that will translate to the next level, although his up-and-down decision-making, limitations as a play extender and durability concerns create question marks for his pro ceiling. If he stays healthy, the tools are there to compete for NFL starting reps.
GRADE3rd Round
Testing
TYPE HT WT HAND ARM WING 40 20 10 VJ BJ SS 3C BP NOTES
Combine 6021 214 93/8″ 303/4″ 75″ DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP Pos. drills only (choice)
Pro Day 6020 215 93/8″ 311/8″ 751/8″ DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Strengths
Natural ball-handling skills with lightning-fast release, especially on RPOs
Comfortable delivering dots when throwing off platform
Able to access various arm angles and release points without sacrificing velocity
Throws well to areas — very good curl/comeback passer
Displays touch to all areas (64 completions of 20 yards or more ranked fourth in FBS in 2024)
Eye use and ability to hold/manipulate defenders improved each season
Experienced changing protections at line based on pre-snap reads
Able to execute subtle moves/slides in pocket to avoid rush
Stays clear-minded, regardless of score or situation — coaches say he doesn’t “ride the emotional roller coaster” (see fourth-and-13 overtime touchdown on Arizona State tape)
Several of best performances (2023 Alabama, 2024 Michigan) came in true road games (Steve Sarkisian: “He’s a very calm guy … (who) doesn’t get affected by crowd noise.”)
Experienced starter; posted 27-9 record at Texas (11-1 in true road games), including back-to-back playoff appearances
Weaknesses
Not a bad athlete but legs don’t present daunting threat
Frequently drops eyes when moved from his spot — shrinking pockets make him uncomfortable
Too many frazzled decisions as passer and fooled at times by underneath zone defenders
Most interceptions on 2024 tape came to the right and outside the numbers (see 2024 SEC title game vs. Georgia)
Inconsistent deep-ball placement, often leaving throws short and creating turnover opportunities (completed just six of 24 attempts of more than 20 yards between the numbers in 2024)
Feel for touch to feather throws but needs to unload fastball more often
Fumbled 10 times in 2024 (20 over his three seasons as starter)
Average body type and missed time each season because of injury: missed two games as junior with strained oblique (Sept. 2024); high right ankle sprain later that season (Nov. 2024) — didn’t miss any time, but injury limited mobility; missed two games as sophomore because of Grade 2 AC joint sprain in right (throwing) shoulder (Oct. 2023); missed three games as redshirt freshman after spraining left clavicle (Sept. 2022); missed six games in final season of high school because of sports hernia, which required surgery (Oct. 2020
Background
Quinn Ewers (YOU-ers), who has an older sister (Kailey) and younger sister (Teddy-Raye), was born in San Antonio and grew up in the small town of Pleasanton, Texas (south of San Antonio), with his parents (Curtis and Kristen). His father works in the oil and gas field; mother is an elementary school teacher. Ewers started throwing passes with his father at age 3 and was a natural in several sports in elementary school. When he was in the third grade, in 2011, his family relocated for Curtis’ job to the Dallas-Fort Worth area and settled in the football-rabid city of Southlake. Coached by his father, Ewers played quarterback for his pee wee team and started working with quarterback coach Joe McCulley in fourth grade. Ewers gained steam throughout middle school as one of the best up-and-coming quarterbacks in Texas, and he led his 7-on-7 Southlake team to multiple championships, including a state title in the summer of 2016. He also played basketball, baseball and golf, as well as outdoor activities, such as hunting and fishing. Ewers started training in high school with movement performance coach Bobby Stroupe.
Ewers enrolled at Southlake Carroll High, a perennial state title contender and program built by former NFL quarterbacks such as Greg McElroy and Chase Daniel. As a freshman in 2018, he saw time on varsity as the backup punter. Ewers became the varsity starting quarterback as a sophomore and led Carroll to a 13-1 record, its only loss coming in the 2019 6A state quarterfinal playoffs. He earned second-team all-state and district MVP honors in his first year as a starter with 72.4 percent completions (291 of 402) for 4,003 yards, 45 touchdowns and three interceptions, adding 568 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. As a junior All-American, Ewers passed for 2,442 yards and 28 touchdowns in eight games but missed six games midseason because of a core muscle injury, which required surgery. He returned for the 2020 playoffs and led Carroll to the 6A state championship game, where it lost to Westlake. After initially planning to return for his senior season, Ewers elected to reclassify and enroll in college in the summer of 2021. He finished his prep career with 6,445 passing yards and 85 total touchdowns in his 22 starts. Ewers also lettered in baseball at Southlake Carroll.
A five-star recruit, Ewers was the top-ranked quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class, the No. 1 recruit in Texas and the No. 1 recruit nationally. He became just the sixth player to receive a perfect 1.0000 recruiting rating, joining Jadeveon Clowney, Rashan Gary, Vince Young, Robert Nkemdiche and Ernie Sims. Ewers received his first scholarship offer in seventh grade from North Texas. The summer after eighth grade, he picked up his first major offer from Urban Meyer and Ohio State (June 2018). Before he started a game in high school, Ewers added offers from Arkansas, Florida, Michigan, Michigan State, SMU and Texas A&M. Midway through his sophomore season, he received an offer from Texas, the program he’d grown up idolizing as a kid.
Ewers committed to the Longhorns in August 2020 but backed off that pledge midway through the 2020 season, as Tom Herman’s program was struggling. Less than a month later, Ewers committed to Ohio State and head coach Ryan Day. After being informed that he would not be able to receive NIL money and remain eligible, Ewers elected to skip his senior season of high school and enroll at Ohio State in August 2021. Stuck behind C.J. Stroud on the depth chart (and homesick), Ewers entered the transfer portal in December 2021. With Steve Sarkisian now the head coach at Texas, Ewers transferred to the Longhorns. He earned more than $1 million in NIL money before starting a game in college football and just shy of $2 million during the 2024 season, according to reports. Ewers elected to skip his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. Ewers declined his invitation to the Senior Bowl.
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2011
- Messages
- 2,263
- Reaction score
- 4,117
I've gone over it before, but it's been a long time since Gruden was successful and he had a top ten offense something like 4 times in 18 seasons as an OC and HC and it's been like 20 years since the last time he did it. He had 6 winning seasons out of 14 as head coach. His success, especially his last decade or so of coaching, is exaggerated.
JamesWsenior
Club Member
Too late now isn't it.