Where Does Texas QB Quinn Ewers Rank as 2024 Heisman Trophy Candidate?

Texas Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers sits near the top of the list of notable SEC quarterbacks with the chance to take home the Heisman.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) celebrates the 34-24 win over Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 9, 2023 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. / Aaron Martinez / USA TODAY NETWORK

In a new series brought by On3 Sports, the website named Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers as the second most likely player in the SEC to win the 2024 Heisman trophy.

The SEC features some of the most talented players in the nation, and arguably three of the top four quarterbacks entering the year. Ewers was sandwiched between Georgia’s Carson Beck and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, three players many analysts expect to be in the top four to five candidates for the trophy.

“If Ewers plays with more consistency and continues to lead a Texas team back into a national title contender, then he’s going to to be a Top 5 candidate — not just in the SEC but for the whole field,” wrote Jesse Simonton, a national football columnist and SEC specialist.

Ewers has been criticized for not living up to his No. 1 recruit status three years ago, as mentioned by Simonton, but another year under the Steve Sarkisian system could help him blossom into one of the best in the nation.

Ewers threw for nearly 3500 yards last year with 27 touchdowns between the ground and the air. To win a Heisman trophy, however, he’s going to need a lot more. The past five Heisman trophy-winning quarterbacks averaged the following stats:

5237 total yards

54 touchdowns 

6 interceptions

12 adjusted yards per attempt

12-2 team record

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) throws a pass while warming up ahead of the Longhorns' spring Orange and White game at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, April 20, 2024. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA

Though some of those stats are inflated by Joe Burrow’s historic 2019 campaign, the sentiment is still the same. Bryce Young is the only quarterback to win with under 4900 total yards, meaning Ewers would likely need to throw for 1300 more yards in 2024 given his limited mobility.

With an improved Texas team, however, it’s not crazy to expect 50 touchdowns and a 12-2 record for Ewers and the Horns, making the accomplishment still very possible for the third-year-starter. 

Ewers still has a long way to go to become the best quarterback in college football, but in a wide-open contest lacking a true No. 1 player in the nation, Ewers has just as good a shot as any to become the best in the nation.