Ohio State QB Commit Quinn Ewers Reclassifying, Will Play For Buckeyes This Season
Ohio State‘s looming quarterback competition just got a lot more interesting after No. 1 overall recruit Quinn Ewers announced on Monday he is skipping his senior season at Southlake (Texas) Carroll and enrolling with the Buckeyes for fall camp.
The news was first reported by On3’s Justin Wells and later confirmed to Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel by Ewers’ father, Curtis.
“Over the last few weeks, following Texas’ UIL informing me I would be prohibited from profiting off my own name, image and likeness, I’ve taken time to think about what lies ahead of me, both in the short- and long-term,” Ewers said in a statement. “It’s unfortunate I’ve found myself in this situation, as my preference would have been to complete my senior season at Southlake Carroll along with the teammates and friend I’ve taken the field alongside for the past three years.
“However, following conversations with my family and those I know have my best interests in mind, I move decided it’s time for me to enroll at Ohio State and begin my career as a Buckeye.
“This is not a just a financial decision; this is about what is best for my football career. At 18, and with one final class about to be complete to earn my high-school degree, I feel it’s time to get a jump on my college career that is available to me. I am eager to start learning from Coach (Ryan) Day and the rest of the coaching staff.
“I understand many will have their opinions on this matter. But only my loved ones and I know what’s truly best for me and my future. This is not a decision I have made without a lot of thought.”
The news isn’t unexpected, as it was reported earlier this week that the 6-foot-3 and 206-pound Ewers was leaning toward doing just that after the state of Texas announced that he could not profit off of his name, image and likeness as a high school athlete.
Ewers, who committed to the Buckeyes in November shortly after backing off his pledge to the home-state Longhorns, reportedly has several local and national companies lined up to pay him as much as seven figures to represent them – including one called Holy Kombucha, which is offering both cash and equity in the company.
“We don’t need the money," Ewers told Thamel last week. “It’s just the principle of it. If I enroll at Ohio State, obviously I’d be able to make money off the deals, and I feel like it’d be a big advantage of learning the playbook and getting comfortable with the campus and all my teammates. But if I stay and don’t get paid, I may be able to win a state title.”
Ewers finishes his high school career with 6,445 yards and 73 touchdowns passing and will now compete with redshirt freshmen C.J. Stroud and Jack Miller and true freshman Kyle McCord for the starting spot with the Buckeyes this fall.
The trio has just 18 total snaps of collegiate experience between, including three carries, two rushing touchdowns and zero passing attempts. They have a leg up on Ewers in that they each participated in spring practice, however.
All that said, Ewers’ decision to reclassify isn’t unusual. In fact, USC-turned-Georgia quarterback J.T. Daniels and North Carolina cornerback Tony Grimes are two of the most recent examples of it happening in football, though it’s far more common in college basketball.
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