Texas Quarterback Ewers Reflects on His Injury-Ridden College Career

INDIANAPOLIS — Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is poised for the NFL draft, reflecting on his college career marred by injuries.

Ewers, who led the Longhorns to two consecutive College Football Playoff semifinal appearances, finished his time at Texas as the third all-time leader in passing yards (9,128) and touchdown passes (68). Despite multimillion-dollar offers to stay in college, Ewers chose to leave, wanting to preserve his legacy at Texas.

“I just wanted to be remembered in college at Texas,” Ewers said during a press conference Friday. His final season was particularly challenging, affected by an oblique tear and a high ankle sprain. Ewers stated he was only fully healthy for three games in 2024, emphasizing that “it didn’t feel like just a sprain” after the ankle injury worsened during practice.

Since the end of the college football season, Ewers has committed to rebuilding his body, adding about 15 pounds of muscle. He believes this physical transformation, along with his recovery from injury, has improved his throwing capabilities.

Throughout his journey, Ewers has been transparent with NFL teams he met at the scouting combine. “They’re making a big investment on a guy, and they want to know who they’re dealing with,” he stated. Ewers views his injury experience as a formative aspect of his character, describing it as crucial for developing mental toughness.

The pressure of being a starting quarterback at Texas included dealing with external expectations to play his highly regarded backup, Arch Manning. Ewers feels the challenges he faced sharpened his resilience. “I think that it’s one of the most important things you got,” he said. “I’ve been through a lot in my career at Texas, whether that be injuries or other things like that.”

Moreover, Ewers has also spoken highly about Manning, stating, “I think he’s going to be a great player. He has some traits that I had as well.” He expressed enthusiasm for Manning’s potential future successes, underscoring their camaraderie as teammates.

As Ewers prepares for the NFL, he remains confident about his skills, asserting that his college experience has prepared him well for the professional level. He aims to make his mark and build on the foundation of his college career.