Initially heralded as the highest-rated high school recruit in history, Quinn Ewers is finally set to hear his name called upon at the 2025 NFL Draft. In what has become an unofficial tradition for quarterback prospects entering the draft, Ewers made an appearance on Gruden’s QB Class to remind NFL scouts of his presence and play-making abilities.
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While the former head coach in John Gruden, certainly loves his quarterbacks and showers them with praise whenever they appear on his show, the retired play caller seemed particularly fond of Ewers.
Going as far as to label the 22-year-old as an “ice man,” the former Super Bowl champion noted that there’s a lot to like about the San Antonio native.
“He’s really good in end-of-game situations. This guy can really throw the rock, man. He’s a road warrior. This guy goes to Michigan, he goes to Alabama, he wins big games on the road. He’s got all the awkward deliveries, deep ball accuracy. This guy is a winner and a great competitor.”
Given the pedigree of Ewers’ player profile, Gruden’s introduction seemed more than justified. Being labeled as the next Tom Brady at such a young age has proven to be both a blessing and a curse for Ewers, who has been forced to live up to some rather lofty expectations at times.
Ewers was a highly acclaimed five-star quarterback prospect, playing for Southlake Carroll High School. He was originally ranked as the top player in the 2022 class before reclassifying to 2021 and skipping his senior year. In his 22 high school games, he threw for 6,445 yards, 73 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions, while also adding 701 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.
In response to Gruden noting that Ewers had “one of the most mysterious high school careers” that he has ever seen, the former Longhorn explained that he’s been a highly scouted prospect from the very beginning.
“I went to a little summer camp at UNC… They pulled me aside, and I started throwing the ball. They were like ‘Alright man, how old are you? What’s going on?’ I said I’m going into seventh grade, they cut to the chase and said ‘We’re going to offer you a scholarship to come play ball here.’ Alright, we’ll see what happens in five years.”
Heading into his senior year, Ewers was widely regarded as the top overall recruit in the 2022 class by multiple outlets. In August 2020, he initially committed to the Texas Longhorns. However, he decommitted from Texas in October and subsequently pledged to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes in November 2020. But why? Apparently, money was to blame.
“Texas legislature wasn’t going to let high school players to get paid. And I had a $1.4 million memorabilia deal in front of me, that I wasn’t going to pass up.”
In Ohio, a 16-year-old Ewers sat behind CJ Stroud. Curious as to how that year on the bench may have helped him to become a better player, Gruden inquired about Ewers’ relationship with Stroud.
“The biggest thing I learned from him, and coach Day, was what it took to be a college quarterback and what it meant to be who you are for your teammates.”
In 2021, Ewers finally made his way to Texas. There, he took the Texas Longhorns to a handful of big victories. His 34-24 road win against the No. 3-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in 2023 was among the biggest. Now on the precipice of realizing his NFL dreams, Ewers plans to be his authentic self well into the final days of his football career.
