Quinn Ewers Set for Reunion vs. Ohio State Buckeyes in CFP Semifinal

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers will see some familiar faces in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) warms ups prior to the NCAA football game against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021 Tulsa At Ohio State Football / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Earlier this season, Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers made Ohio State history in an non-traditional way.

Recruited by the Buckeyes after reclassifying to the class of 2021 as the No. 1 overall recruit by 247Sports, Rivals and On3, Ewers left the program after redshirting his freshman year.

He had originally committed to Texas in August of 2020, but ended up decommitting in favor of the Buckeyes.

Jan 1, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) runs with the ball for a touchdown against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half of the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

What sets him apart from his fellow class of 2021 recruits is one thing: Michigan. Ohio State has failed to defeat the Michigan Wolverines in their rivalry game since the class joined the program, but Ewers and Texas traveled to Ann Arbor in the second game of the non-conference schedule this season and defeated the national champions on their home field.

Ewers is the only player from the Buckeye recruiting class of 2021 to have done so.

Now, months later, Ewers will face his former teammates in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl. The Southlake, Texas native was one of five five-star recruits in that class, and only two remain with the Buckeyes in defensive end Jack Sawyer and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka.

Both Ohio State and Ewers have had successful years since parting ways, but Ewers might have had the better end of the stick. The Buckeyes haven't won a conference title in that span and are making their first College Football Playoff since 2022. The Texas quarterback, on the other hand, is in his second consecutive playoff run and helped a mid-table Longhorn team grow to one of the best in the nation.

Two traditional teams will be facing each other, and there might be some pride in Ewers' game when it comes to coming out on top against his former teammates.

Texas and Ohio State will kick off on Friday, Jan. 10 at 6:30 p.m. CT in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. The winner will advance to the CFP National Championship Game.

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