Texas Longhorns Star and Top NIL Earner Officially Declares for NFL Draft

One of the top NIL earners in college football is leaving the Texas Longhorns for the NFL Draft.

Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of the highest NIL earners in all of college sports is leaving the Texas Longhorns and headed for the NFL Draft.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers officially announced his declaration for the draft via a video on his social media accounts, putting to an end tons of speculation as to what his next move could be.

After three seasons with the Longhorns and four years in college which included a start with the Ohio State Buckeyes after reclassifying and going to college early before winding up back in his home state, Ewers has decided declaring now is in his best interest.

In what is an extremely weak quarterback class on paper, Ewers deciding to enter the draft now is probably his best course rather than taking his chances and falling down the board next year, especially if he didn't have a great season.

Many suspected Ewers was going to look to the transfer portal where he would have been the most highly sought after - and in turn highest paid - player in the history of the portal.

Given the ascending status of the only teammate valued higher than him in NIL in expected future superstar Arch Manning, Ewers may not have had a starting spot at Texas next season.

The risk vs. reward of going to an entirely new school, learning a new playbook, getting on the same page with new pass catchers, and everything else which comes from a transfer ultimately made Ewers decide he's going to take his chances in the NFL.

Likely not expected to be a first-round pick, Ewers did both a lot of good and a lot of bad this past season. While his nearly 3,500 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions were impressive on paper, he struggled in the biggest moments for the Longhorns and made some critical mistakes which directly led to the team's three losses, twice to the Georgia Bulldogs and in last week's College Football Playoff semifinal to Ohio State.

In the area of NIL however, Ewers was one of the highest valued players in the entire country. Ranked No. 4 in On3's NIL 100 list with a valuation of $4.5 million, Ewers trailed only Manning at No. 1 ($6.6 million), Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders at No. 2 ($6.5 million), and Heisman winner Travis Hunter at No. 3 ($5.7 million).

Seeing where Ewers lands in the draft and what his contract looks like as compared to some of the reported figures being reported for what he could land in the portal is something worth monitoring.