Quinn Ewers Never Took NIL Money From Texas Longhorns

AUSTIN -- As one of the catalysts of bringing the program back to national relevancy, it's clear that Quinn Ewers left a legacy with the Texas Longhorns. But in the process, he apparently didn't take a single dime from the university's NlL fund.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters Monday at the Houston Touchdown Club that Ewers did not receive money from the Texas One Fund during his three years on the Forty Acres.

After a long wait Saturday during the 2025 NFL Draft, Ewers was a seventh-round draft selection by the Miami Dolphins.

Jan 10, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) in action during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

"I think he was one of the first guys through all this talk about collective and all the things that were going on in the world of NIL ... he never took money from our collective," Sarkisian said. "All of what he did through NIL was his true Name, Image, and Likeness."

Ewers certainly got his fair share of earnings from multiple NIL deals, highlighted by being one of the three feature athletes on the cover of the highly-anticipated College Football 25 video game last summer along with an appearance in the Dr Pepper "Fansville" commercial series. Some of his other partnerships included those with Hulu, New Era, Panini America and more.

Sarkisian called out some of the negative narratives surrounding Ewers after he fell to the seventh round. Many have criticized Ewers for entering the draft instead of staying in college and entering the transfer portal where he likely would have had a seven-figure deal waiting for him.

Instead, he's set to make much less as a third-string rookie in the NFL next season, but some things are more important than dollar signs.

Feb 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (QB04) answers questions at a press conference during the 2025 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images | Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images

“I also think it’s ironic that so many things are written and talked about the players from the negative standpoint that transfer schools or stay in school to take more money like it’s a negative,” Sarkisian said. “All of a sudden, here’s a guy that said ‘I want to leave a legacy at Texas. I want to go play in the NFL.’ Now they’re knocking him for not taking the money in college.”

Sarkisian stuck with Ewers through the good times and the bad but ultimately looks at him as one of the faces of Texas' turnaround from 5-7 in 2021 to national title contender.

"You think about the last two years, he leads us to back-to-back CFPs – we're the only team to do that the last two years – we win a Big 12 Championship, and we compete for an SEC Championship," Sarkisian said. "And he was a key guy in transforming a team coming off a 5-7 season into a championship-level program. He came in when we were building this thing, made an immediate impact, and his leadership was critical to the growth and success of our program over the last three years. He's a tremendous player, even better person, and a great teammate. Miami got an outstanding quarterback who will be a great addition to their team."

Ewers will now begin what he hopes is a long NFL career while the Longhorns head into the first full season with Arch Manning as the starter.