On Monday, ESPN’s No. 2 prospect in the class of 2022, Quinn Ewers, announced he would be forgoing his senior year of high school to enroll at Ohio State. Ewers would have been a senior at Southlake Carroll this upcoming season.
In his two years starting at Carroll, Ewers racked up nearly 6,500 passing yards and 73 passing touchdowns. The Texas native is also nimble on his feet, as he rushed for 12 touchdowns over his career. The most telling statistic of all may be that he only threw eight interceptions in two seasons.
Quinn Ewers to Forgo Senior HS Season to Enroll at Ohio State
One of the main factors that went into Ewers’ decision is the new name, image and likeness (NIL) rules in college football. As a high school senior, he would not have been able to profit from his likeness. However, by joining the Buckeyes this fall, he can pursue as many sponsors as he wants. In 2020, the Southlake Carroll Dragon de-commited from the University of Texas and flipped to Ohio State. The Buckeyes are looking to replace two-year starter, and current Chicago Bear, Justin Fields. C.J. Stroud is considered the odds-on favorite to win the job, but Ewers will at least have a chance to learn the system a year early.
Sign of Things to Come With NIL?
With the NIL deal, college sports has turned into a version of the “Wild West.” Many young basketball stars have already started skipping college to go to the G-League. Now, the first domino has fallen in the world of college football.
While Ewers will now be able to benefit monetarily, being out of Texas and at Ohio State, enrolling early is still a bit of a surprise. However, Ewers isn’t the only young quarterback who will capture the eyes of college football fans.
Arch Manning Headed in the Same Direction
The second Arch Manning stepped onto a high school football field he knew that’s where he was supposed to be. His uncles, Peyton and Eli, were both Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks. The Mannings, as a family, have been a staple in American Football. If Eli wasn’t out beating the Patriots, Peyton was likely doing it. However, keep in mind that Arch Manning is only 16 years old and has already fielded offers from the best football programs in the country.
In only a couple of months, Arch has become a household name. He’s visited Clemson, Ole Miss, Texas and Alabama, so it’s likely he will be able to profit of his name and likeness as soon as next year. With that, it’s likely that Manning will also enroll early, just to be able to profit. Another benefit of enrolling early for a player like Arch is that the player will have a full year to learn the offense and the ins and outs of the program. So, while this move from Ewers was shocking, it may be a sign of things to come.
