Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers Named To "Beats Elite" 2023 Class
Name, image and likeness (NIL) has taken college athletics by storm, and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is reaping the benefits of his status entering his second season in Austin.
Ewers signed a new NIL deal with Apple Inc.'s Beats by Dre Thursday afternoon as part of the company's new "Beats Elite" class. Other top players to be named as part of the inaugural class include USC quarterback and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy, Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels and Colorado quarterback Shedur Sanders.
"As we've worked with our initial college athletes, we've realized how important it is for them to have brand support at that level," Beats' head of sports marketing Aminah Charles said in a statement. "The industry is moving toward truly empowering college athletes, so we wanted to take a bigger swing in this area."
Beats by Dr. Dre has been involved in the NIL stratosphere since the NCAA ruled it legal for athletes to profit off of their liking. Former Texas running back and reigning Doak Walker Award winner Bijan Robinson signed a deal with the headphones company before the start of the 2022 season.
Ewers, who was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, is expected to be one of the top quarterbacks in college football this fall after leading Texas to an 8-5 record. His first year on the Forty Acres came with mixed results, partially due to an AC joint injury that sidelined him for three games after taking a hit in Week 2's loss to then-No. 1 Alabama at home.
In 10 games, Ewers threw for 2,177 yards and 15 touchdowns against six interceptions and completed 58.1 percent of his passes. He showed the makings of greatness with a four-touchdown performance in a 49-0 win over rival Oklahoma but regressed two weeks later with a three-interception performance in a road loss to Oklahoma State.
Third-year coach Steve Sarkisian said following spring practice that Ewers had earned the right to enter the year as the Longhorns' unquestioned starter after improving in all facets. The Southlake Carroll product ended the season on a high note with a career-high 368-yard outing against No. 12 Washington in the Alamo Bowl.
“Obviously, I didn’t like where I was last year,” Ewers said last month at Big 12 Media Days in Arlington. “Obviously, something had to change if I wanted to end up where I want to be in the future. I’m starting right here. I’m eating a lot better. I’m doing a lot of the small things a lot harder and I’m excited.”
Fifteen players were selected to the "Beats Elite" class for the 2023 season. Alabama's Jalen Milroe, Clemson's Cade Klubnik, Notre Dame's Sam Hartman, Oregon State's DJ Uiagalelei, Tennessee's Joe Milton, and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. were the other quarterbacks named to the class. Penn State running back Nick Singleton was the only non-quarterback selected to the group on offense.
The two defensive representatives selected were Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and Georgia safety Malaki Starks.
The No. 12 Longhorns open the season at Royal-Memorial Stadium against Rice on Sept. 2.
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