Film Room: Breaking Down Ohio State QB Commit Quinn Ewers
Ohio State picked up a huge commitment when elite Southlake (Texas) Carroll quarterback Quinn Ewers pledged to the Buckeyes. Ewers is the consensus top quarterback in the 2022 class and a contender for the top overall player in the class.
QUINN EWERS, QUARTERBACK
Height: 6-3
Weight: 190
High School: Southlake (Texas) Carroll
Offers: Ohio State, Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida, LSU, Texas, USC, Auburn, Texas A&M, Michigan, Penn State, Washington, Tennessee, Miami, Oklahoma State, Missouri, TCU, Virginia Tech, Baylor, Washington State, South Carolina, Michigan State, Ole Miss, NC State, Mississippi State
SIZE-FRAME-STRENGTH — Ewers is a long-limbed quarterback with an impressive frame. Listed between 190-205 he has the kind of broad-shouldered frame that should allow Ewers to easily get past 215 pounds.
Even more important than measurables, Ewers still has plenty of room to add strength to both his upper and lower body, which will prove impactful as he physically matures.
ARM STRENGTH — Ewers throws the deep ball effectively and he gets quality zip on intermediate throws, but the ball doesn’t really explode out of his hand like we saw from a player like Trevor Lawrence at the same age.
This is actually an aspect I view as a positive, and it’s partly what makes Ewers so intriguing. The physical development I talked above will first start showing up in this department. As he physically matures and continues to develop in the weight room you’ll see the ball start jumping out of his hand more.
As his lower body fills out and address strength I expect the ball to really start to explode out of his hand, and it will allow him to make even more impressive down the field and middle of the field throws.
MECHANICS/ACCURACY — Being able to throw off platform and from different angles is almost a must in today’s game, and Ewers grades out extremely well in this department. He has a bit of a from the shoulder delivery, but he’ll get over top at times on down field throws, and he can speed up his arm speed when the need arises.
There is some inconsistency with his release point and the time it takes Ewers to get through the throwing zone. It doesn’t hurt him in high school, but it could become an issue in college as the opposition because faster and more instinctive. After breaking down his film this inconsistency comes from his low ball carriage in the pocket. When it gets too low and he needs to get the ball down field it can cause him to be a bit more elongated with his motion.
The good news is this is an easy fix. If Ewers gets the ball up a bit, something that can be corrected in one offseason, I expect that inconsistency to be completely eliminated.
Ewers uses his legs effectively in the pocket from a both a timing standpoint and a power standpoint. He keeps a good base throughout his drop, and as he works through his progressions he stays light on his feet, which allows him to quickly plant and throw as soon as he makes his read.
Ewers is one of the most accurate quarterbacks I’ve evaluated in the last decade. Accuracy in this context covers three areas: high completion rate, ball placement, timing.
The Carroll star completed over 72% of his throws as a sophomore, which is outstanding when you consider the quality of the competition and how often he throws the ball down the field. This isn’t a young quarterback that has a high completion rate because he throws 90% of his throws at less than 10 yards. He shows supreme accuracy on every level (short, intermediate deep, sideline).
Ball placement refers to being able to throw in a way that avoids the defense or manipulates the wideout (back shoulder, low and away, on the hip, etc.), and Ewers is incredibly advanced in this department. Part of being great with ball placement is understanding the need to mix up velocity, and Ewers knows when to gas a receiver up, when to throw with touch and when to find that middle ground.
Timing is also important, and Ewers thrives in this area. He knows how to throw receivers open, his anticipation is outstanding and he does a great job throwing away from the defense.
Ewers shows good velocity and accuracy when throwing on the move as well.
POCKET PRESENCE — Ewers is a poised young quarterback that is clearly well schooled in the art of quarterback play. He’s fluid in the pocket and does a great job throwing on rhythm, even when he has to work through his progressions.
Ewers does a tremendous job of keeping his eyes downfield on his reads, even as defenders move around him. When he bails out of or steps into the pocket he keeps his eyes downfield, and his off platform throwing ability allows him to quickly get his body in position to snap off the ball.
He carries the ball low when he moves around and he can let it get a bit too far away from his body, something that could be a problem against better defenders. Like his low ball carriage, it’s an easy fix.
ATHLETIC SKILLS-RUNNING ABILITY — Ewers is a smooth and fluid athlete that projects to be a chain mover as a runner at the next level. Depending on how he fills out his frame, there’s a chance he could become an effective short-yardage/goal line runner, but he is a five-star talent because of what he does with his arm, not his legs.
INTANGIBLES — Ewers passed for 4,003 yards and 45 touchdowns while getting picked off just three times as a sophomore. He added 568 yards and nine more touchdowns on the ground, and his 72.4% completion rate was highly impressive. This is a young quarterback with plenty of experience, and he plays the game with swagger.
His decision making stands out, and you can see him working through progressions. His pre-snap decision making is a big part of why he’s able to throw with such impeccable timing and anticipation.
FINAL ANALYSIS
Ewers has everything Ryan Day wants and needs at quarterback. He has an NFL frame, projects to have outstanding arm strength, he is accurate, he is poised, he can dominate within the framework of the offense, he can make plays when things break down and he appears to be a highly intelligent quarterback. He’ll need some time to build up his body, but this is a young quarterback with the arm talent, Moxy and intelligence to play very early in his career. To win titles in college football in this era you need elite quarterback play, and Ohio State landed a truly elite quarterback when it got a pledge from Ewers.
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