Report: Texas Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers 'Likely' To Return For 2024 Season

Quinn Ewers could solidfy his first-round draft status with a breakout 2024 season.

Quinn Ewers could elect to go pro following the results of Saturday's Big 12 championship, but to those close in the know, a return to the Forty Acres seems more likely. 

According to ESPN, Ewers is leaning towards returning for a fourth college football season rather than declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft. The redshirt sophomore spent one season at Ohio State before transferring to Texas in 2022. 

Ewers, who will make his 21st career start for the No. 7 Longhorns (11-1, 8-1 Big 12), could lead the program to its first conference title since 2009 with a win Saturday over No. 18 Oklahoma State. And depending on outcomes in the ACC and SEC championships, Texas still has the potential of making it to the College Football Playoff. 

No. 4 Florida State takes on No. 15 Louisville in the ACC title game in Charlotte, N.C., and could be without backup quarterback Tate Rodemaker after suffering a head injury against Florida. No. 1 Georgia travels to Atlanta to face No. 8 Alabama for the SEC showdown between the two powerhouses. 

According to ESPN, the feeling among Ewers' camp is that another year of development would best position him for long-term success in the NFL. A preseason projected first-round target, Ewers' draft stock has dropped due to injury concerns. 

Oklahoma State Cowboys defensive end Collin Oliver (30) puts pressure on Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) during a college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the University of Texas :: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN-USA TODAY NETWORK

Last season, Ewers suffered a sprained SC joint in his right shoulder that sidelined him for three games. This season, he missed two games after sustaining a grade 2 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder during the Longhorns' win over Houston. 

Ewers elected to enroll in college early, choosing Ohio State in 2021 instead of playing his senior year of high school at Southlake Carroll in the Dallas area. While learning a college offense, he played sparingly behind two-time Heisman finalist and eventual first-round pick C.J. Stroud, totaling four snaps in two games. 

Ewers elected to transfer after the season. He won the starting job at Texas in 2022 over Hudson Card, and remains five games short of 25 starts, a baseline for NFL success for college quarterbacks.

Even after missing two games, Ewers excelled during the Longhorns' final season in the Big 12. He completed a conference-leading 69.8 percent of his throws for 2,709 yards and 17 touchdowns against five interceptions. Ewers also posted four 300-yard passing performances, including a 349-yard, three-touchdown outing against then-No. 3 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. 

While Ewers could lose talents like tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders and receivers Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell to the NFL, early indications suggest that Texas will be in the running for several high-profile pass-catchers this offseason via the portal. Names include South Carolina's Juice Wells, Purdue's Deion Burks, Florida State's Winston Wright Jr. and South Alabama's Caullin Lacy. 

The Longhorns are rumored to be interested in adding Texas A&M receiver Evan Stewart should he enter the portal. 

A return to Austin could be beneficial for both sides. Ewers, at best, would be QB No. 3 in the 2024 NFL Draft behind USC's Caleb Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye. He also could slip behind names like LSU's Jayden Daniels, Oregon's Bo Nix and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. 

Returning for the 2024 season would give the Longhorns a veteran quarterback with experience in the offense as they transition from life in the Big 12 to the SEC, along with Oklahoma. A productive year in the SEC for Ewers could solidify his first-round draft status. 

#19 Oklahoma State vs. #7 Texas Prediction & Odds: Big 12 Championship

A College Football Playoff-leading year put Ewers in the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick. He's expected to make an announcement sometime next week. 

Kickoff from Arlington at AT&T Stadium at 11 a.m.