Quinn Ewers' Commitment Strengthens an Already Loaded Buckeye Quarterback Room
For Buckeye fans, there aren't many scarier thoughts than what life will be like in the post-Justin Fields era. When you're going to lose a Heisman-caliber quarterback and your current team is a legitimate national championship contender, it's natural to be nervous about life-beyond-Justin.
And while most college football fans wouldn't classify Ohio State as "QB-U" because of the lack of success Buckeye signal-callers have had at the NFL level, Scarlet and Gray fans have been spoiled by fabulous quarterback play during the team's incredible run over the last two decades.
It doesn't appear that things are going to taper off after Fields turns pro.
On Thursday night, Southlake Carroll (Texas) junior QB Quinn Ewers committed to Ohio State roughly one month after decommitting from his home-state Longhorns. Believe it or not, since 2017, Ohio State has more 5-star commits than Texas. Ewers is widely regarded as the best junior quarterback in high school football and many see him as the top high school prospect in America in the Class of 2022.
His addition to an already stacked Ohio State quarterback room further emphasizes that Ohio State just might be "QB-U" after all.
With Jack Miller III and C.J. Stroud currently on the roster as true freshmen, and with Philly-product Kyle McCord joining Ohio State in the Class of 2021, Ewers' commitment to Ryan Day and QB Coach Corey Dennis is a clear statement that the Buckeyes are in the business of developing the best high school QB's in the country.
So is that room too crowded? In all likelihood, only one guy will play at a time. Ryan Day said he's trying to create a competitive culture and that nobody should expect to be handed the job.
“If a quarterback’s coming here, they’re coming here to be in the Heisman Trophy conversation and winning a national championship and be a first-round draft pick,” Day told reporters this week. “If they can’t beat out the guy who’s here, how are they going to go become a Heisman Trophy winner and a first-round draft pick? And it’s all about competing, and I get it. If guys want to play, then maybe Ohio State’s not for everybody. The guys who come here, they want to be great.”
Check out our film room breakdown of Ewers, who plays with a flare and style that reminds you of former Heisman Trophy winners Johnny Manziel and Baker Mayfield.
Ewers told 247 Sports that his family owns a huge piece of property roughly 90 minutes from Ohio State's campus where his family loves to hunt. Here is an excerpt from their interview.
“Just their whole demeanor and how they carry themselves,” Ewers said of what stood out about Ohio State. “They’re always doing things right on the field and off as well. Just the way Coach Day and Coach Dennis hold themselves to a much higher standard. They’re always going to be up for the National Championship and just how they develop their quarterbacks and their players.”
Ewers felt that development himself when Ohio State was first to offer after that camp three summers ago. He can’t wait to play for Dennis.
“He’s still fired up,” Ewers stated. “That’s the thing about him, me and him have a good relationship already. We talk pretty much every day on the phone and he’s really cool.
“I’ve known all those guys for a while. I feel like from the very beginning even in the eighth grade when Coach Dennis got to coach me, I’ve felt close to him and we always clicked. I like the words he used and how he trained me. I just loved the way he worked and his demeanor about it.”
Recruiting rankings matter - Ohio State has more 5-star recruits on their current roster than the rest of the Big Ten has combined. But it's been Ohio State's ability to consistently develop some of the premier prep talent in the country that has kept them among college football's elite programs.
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