Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers 'Excited To Be in the Home State'

Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers spoke to the media for the first time since coming to the 40 Acres and explained exactly why he came home

Matt Galatzan | Apr 14, 2022

In August of 2020, the Texas Longhorns gained a commitment from their highest-rated quarterback in two decades, Southlake Carroll quarterback, Quinn Ewers.

However, just two months later, Ewers backed off of that commitment, instead opting to head to Ohio State, where he would reclassify, and enroll early with the Buckeyes.

Once he got to Columbus, Ewers began to compete for the starting quarterback job. The only problem was that eventual Heisman Trophy finalist, C.J. Stroud, was standing in his way.

Now, things have come full circle, with Ewers electing to transfer this past December, and come back to where it all started with the Longhorns.

And for Ewers, it feels good to be back where he belongs. Ewers grew up wanting to play for the Longhorns for most of his life, hoping that he could be the next star signal-caller to wear burnt orange on the Forty Acres.

“I grew up always watching the Longhorns play, wanting to be in that burnt orange,” Ewers said Thursday. “There was a little obstacle in between, but I ended up here. I’m very thankful for all the opportunities God has given me, and I’m excited to be in the home state.”

Ewers did not lose out on the battle for the starting quarterback position at Ohio State due to a lack of talent.

Before his reclassification, Ewers was the No. 2 ranked quarterback in the country behind Clemson's Cade Klubnik per Sports Illustrated's SI99 recruiting rankings.

Not only that, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound gunslinger led the Southlake Carroll Dragons to a 12-1 record and a state title berth in his final season.

And despite missing significant time during that season due to a core injury, he completed 66-percent of his passes for 2,442 yards and 28 touchdowns, with just five interceptions.

The season before, playing a fully healthy campaign, Ewers was even more productive, passing for 4,003 yards and 45 touchdowns, as well as rushing for 568 yards and nine touchdowns.

In total, in just two years, despite missing six games, Ewers was responsible for 85 total touchdowns.

So why didn't Ewers win the job in Columbus?

Perhaps it was the already elite and established talent sitting in front of him. Perhaps he wasn't quite ready for the leap to the college level.

Either way, it was a growing experience, and he is now ready to take on one of the most high-profile positions in all of college football.

“I feel like I committed more emotionally,” Ewers said. “But at the end of the day, I ended up where I think I should be. That’s all there is to it.”

Ewers now finds himself in a position to compete for that position. However, it is not a job that is being handed to him.

Hudson Card, who opened the season as the starter for the Horns, and has a vast amount of talent in his own right, is still in Austin and trying to win the job for himself.

Card has two distinct advantages over Ewers as well. One is his experience on the field.

Last season, Card played in seven games, completing 51 of 83 passes for 590 yards and five touchdowns, with one interception.

The other is his experience in Steve Sarkisian's system, where he is now midway through his second spring practice with the Longhorns and has a full year ahead of Ewers with the playbook.

However, Ewers seems to be progressing quickly and is happy with the strides he has made in the offense thus far.

“As of right now, I feel pretty comfortable with what’s been installed,” Ewers said. “I’m excited to keep learning because I’ve obviously got a lot of learning to do within the offense. As of right now, I’m pretty comfortable.”

If he can continue that progression, and gel as most expect he will with a play-caller like Sarkisian, the sky should be the limit.

He already has the confidence to go win the job. As for the talent, well by the time he stepped foot on the 40 Acres, he was already arguably the most talented passer in the Big 12 conference.

Now, Ewers just has to put it all together and focus on what's ahead.

“Coach Sark once told me that’s why the rearview mirror is so small and the windshield is so big,” Ewers said. “Put the past behind you and focus on what’s ahead. I’m super excited about what’s ahead, for sure.”

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Published Apr 14, 2022

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.