Quinn Ewers' strengths, weaknesses, and what he could bring to college football for OSU
Quinn Ewers is a high-school quarterback who could ditch his senior year for college football. Ewers is currently contemplating the next step in his career. He will either stay at Southlake Carroll High School in Texas and likely win a state championship or graduate this summer and commit to playing college football at Ohio State.
Would it be a smart move if he does the latter? Is a high school junior ready to take the leap to a prestigious college football program like Ohio State? He could easily start for the Buckeyes as well, though.
On that note, let's have a look at Quinn Ewers' strengths, weaknesses and what he could do in college football with OSU.
Quinn Ewers has an imposing physical presence and is a top prospect too
Ewers stands at 6' 3" and weighs just over 200 pounds. He is a five-star prospect and the top-rated one in the entire 2022 class. Football players out of Texas are a whole different breed. Quinn Ewers is just 18, though. Is he ready or even able to compete with the best in college football?
He's got the ideal height and a decent frame. At just 206 pounds, he will have to bulk up a bit. He's a dual-threat QB, but needs to be able to get back up after a couple good hits in a game.
Justin Fields weighed in at over 220 pounds when he started for the Buckeyes last year. Ewers already has a history of being banged up in his short career. He suffered a core injury last season, but was able to return in time to take his team to the Texas 6A D-1 state championship game. He missed six games that season.
He's a pro-style QB, which will aid him in his training on the college football level. Along with his dual-threat and ability to extend plays as a mobile QB, he has great athleticism as well. He can throw on the run well and with great accuracy. On the field, he uses his pocket awareness and football IQ to be an improviser.
As a pure passer, he has a big cannon of an arm and can put the ball on point. Ewers is a deep ball passer with good accuracy, too. His ball release speed could be quicker if he wants to succeed as a college football player, though.
In 2020, despite missing six games, he posted 2,442 yards for 28 TDs through eight games. In 2019, he had 3,998 yards with 45 TDs and just three INTs. He had over 500 rushing yards and nine TDs as well.
So how does Quinn Ewers fit into the college football scheme with the Buckeyes? Ohio State currently have the second-best recruiting class in college football. It includes WR Emeka Egbuka (#1 WR, #9 overall), IOL Donovan Jackson (#1 OL, #18 overall), RB TreVeyon Henderson (#1 RB, #22 overall) and QB Kyle McCord (#5 QB, #27 overall). That's quite a young class of stars that Quinn Ewers could gel and develop with as some of the best college football stars.
The Ohio State Buckeyes have star WR Chris Olave and RB Master Teague lll returning for the 2021 season. Quinn Ewers has the talent and could be a future starter in college football, no matter where he plays. He's a smart runner and only takes big hits when it makes sense, giving him longevity and intelligence on the college football field. He still has flaws in his game, and needs to bulk up his frame to have a real shot. There are already playmakers on the roster, so he could grow and mature with the young players coming in with him next season.
It's not always wise for a young QB to take the big leap to college football so soon, but Quinn Ewers seems to have the brains and skills to do it the right way. WIth NIL money dangling in front of him in college football, he could give the Buckeyes his best foot forward in order to cash in.
Quinn Ewers could also bring his brand to the Buckeyes and be a very popular prospect entering college football. He could help bring money and fans to the stadium too.