Recruiting is a never-ending cycle for college football teams, no matter how young or old a prospect is. While the Longhorns have yet to wrap up their 2021 class, all eyes are on an in-state prospect who just finished his sophomore year in high school.
Coming out of Southlake Carroll, Quinn Ewers, the No. 1 quarterback and No. 2 high school player in the country, is following a rich tradition of quarterbacks to play for the Dragons. Chase Daniel, Greg McElroy, Riley Dodge, Kenny Hill have all suited up for the Fort Worth suburb.
Nearly 30 schools have offered the young phenom with the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State, and Oklahoma joining Texas in their pursuit of Ewers.
The quarterback caught up with 247Sports and talked about his recruitment, what his connection to Texas is, and his relationship with offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich.
“Coach Yurcich, he’s really cool,” Ewers said. “He’s really smart. I’ve talked to him quite a bit. He’s easy to talk to. Cool guy.”
Landing a commitment from Ewers would be a major win for Yurcich and the offense. With the scheme changing from Tim Beck’s offense, the Longhorns are expected to air it out more often.
That could suit Ewers, as he threw for over 4,000 yards, 45 touchdowns, and only three interceptions as a sophomore.
The post-Sam Ehlinger era is already looking good, with Casey Thompson, Hudson Card, and Ja’Quinden Jackson ready to compete for a top spot in 2021.
If he were to commit to Texas, Ewers would more than likely have to earn a starting role in 2022 from one of the three aforementioned players, but that is no different than any other school he could choose to attend.
As for his connection with the Longhorns throughout his life, Ewers says he grew up cheering for Texas.
“My whole family is Longhorns. That’d be pretty cool. I have family near Austin. They would all come to games. I have family in New Braunfels which isn’t too far and a bunch more family down South, that’s where we originally moved from. This year they have to amp it up a little bit. I’m excited to see what they can do this year.”
Of course, there are other schools after the soon to be five-star prospect, from both the Big 10 and SEC.
“Ohio State, I talk to them the most,” Ewers told 247Sports this week. “Auburn still with Coach (Chad) Morris. Texas, Michigan a little bit, Oklahoma, there’s a few more.”
Ohio State has recruited the state of Texas really well, landing three five-star recruits from the state in the past two seasons. Ryan Day has morphed the Buckeyes from a Big 10 powerhouse to a national powerhouse and affront the College Football Playoff discussion year in and year out.
As for arch-rival Oklahoma, everyone knows how well Lincoln Riley can recruit and develop a quarterback. Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts were all top picks in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft.
Former five-star Spencer Rattler is expected to start this season while 2021 five-star and top quarterback in the class Caleb Williams is in waiting.
A real dark horse in the recruitment could be Auburn and offensive coordinator Chad Morris. The former Arkansas head coach knows the state of Texas from his time in Fayetteville and has already seen success in the 2021 class with quarterback Dematrius Davis and former Texas commit tight end Landen King.
“Obviously they’re one of the most watched football teams every year,” Ewers said. “Just that moment and playing for Auburn with all their fans and millions watching online, it’s crazy to think about playing in front of that big of crowd and atmosphere, it’s just crazy.”
Ewers even had a visit planned down to the Plains before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
The battle for the best high school player in the country is far from over. From a Texas perspective, a couple of successful years and the full development of Sam Ehlinger could help Ewers lean towards the Longhorns.
Tom Herman and Mike Yurcich will have to fend off some of the best programs in the country, including Alabama, Ohio State, and Oklahoma.
With Herman’s recruiting pride and joy being the state of Texas, landing highly rated in-state blue-chip players is a must. Especially when they are not only ranked inside the top five nationally but are at the most important position in football.
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