Quinn Ewers “wanted to leave Texas in good standing,” according to his high school coach, Riley Dodge, speaking to Horns247.
Ewers, who had one more year of eligibility, reportedly turned down an $8 million NIL deal from an unnamed school to enter the NFL Draft. While some might see this as a poor financial move, others view it as a sign of Ewers’ loyalty to Texas, the school he always wanted to play for.
“Texas was the only place he wanted to play college football,” Dodge shared with Horns247’s Chip Brown.
Over his three years at Texas, Ewers earned approximately $6 million through NIL deals. These years marked a significant turnaround for the program, as Ewers led the team to back-to-back College Football Playoff semifinals. Along the way, he became a highly discussed figure among college football fans, both positively and negatively.
“I don’t really pay attention to it,” Ewers said before playing Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, according to Horns247. “When I was younger, maybe a little bit more. But as I’ve grown up, I’ve come to fully understand that relying on what other people think of me won’t get me anywhere, and that’s just not a healthy way to go about life.”
Before transferring from Ohio State to Texas, Ewers faced criticism for accepting NIL money from Ohio State instead of finishing his senior year in high school. He explained that the decision was made with his family’s best interests in mind.
“Me and my family had a pretty big opportunity in front of us,” Ewers said in the same Cotton Bowl press conference. “We felt that it was a good decision for me to go on and forgo my senior year and enroll early at Ohio State and have the opportunity to have some good money in our pockets as a family.”
Now, instead of choosing the more financially rewarding option, Ewers has set his sights on an NFL future. Scouts predict he could be drafted anywhere from the bottom of the first round to the top of the third. The relatively weak quarterback class for this draft season could benefit his stock.
Even though Ewers had the chance to make more money through NIL deals, if he performs well in the NFL, it’s likely that an even more lucrative contract will be offered to him in the future.
