BOOOOOM!! Five-star QB Quinn Ewers commits to Ohio State

Around the time of the last NFL Draft, Ryan Day said he isn’t quite satisfied yet with Ohio State’s NFL pipeline. While the defensive backs, defensive line, wide receivers and running backs have certainly been popping, Day has his eyes set on turning the Buckeyes into QBU. With Justin Fields set to be an early first-round pick in next year’s draft, he has made another huge step towards that goal with the latest edition to the 2022 class.

Five-star quarterback Quinn Ewers has committed to Ohio State. Ewers, out of Southlake Carroll High School in Texas, is the No. 1 QB in the country, and the No. 1 player overall in the entire 2022 class in 247Sports’ rankings.

Rumors really began swirling on Oct. 28, as there were reports coming out of Texas that Ewers was heavily considering decommitting from the Longhorns. By late that same night, the big time QB prospect made his decommitment official via Twitter, and from there Ohio State seemed to be the clear cut favorite. It wasn’t long before a plethora of Crystal Balls came flying in for the Buckeyes, and now Ewers finds himself a member of Ohio State’s junior class.

Ryan Day offered Ewers back on June 8, 2018 — before he had even played a snap of high school football and before Day became the head coach of the Buckeyes. Ohio State was the first Power 5 school to offer the rising prospect, with Day clearly seeing something special before the rest of the country caught on. The early offer paid off, as Ewers made his first unofficial visit to Columbus shortly thereafter. From there his recruitment really took off, as he wound up with over 30 offers from nearly every top program you could think of.

Ewers is not just any typical five-star quarterback prospect. The Southlake star is the highest-rated QB recruit at this point in the process since Trevor Lawrence — ever heard of him? His sophomore season stats rival that of Lawrence’s in his sophomore year, with Ewers completing 72.4% of his passes for 4,003 yards and 45 TDs with three INTs to go along with 568 yards rushing and an additional nine scores (compared to Lawrence’s 64%, 3,655 yards passing, 43 TD, four INTs, 235 yards rushing and four TDs on the ground).

Still only a junior in high school, Ewers is already getting Top 10 NFL Draft pick projections, and has drawn praise from nearly everyone on the recruiting trail, including 247Sports midlands region recruiting analyst Gabe Brooks, who had this to say of the young QB:

Good height with a plus frame. Pro-style QB with athleticism and mobility that qualify for a dual-threat label. Elite improvisational QB who can extend plays and remain accurate on the move. Throws with a smooth, easy delivery and varies arm angles as needed. Impressive velocity and spin rate really show on routes over the middle and down the seams. Field-stretching vertical arm strength to consistently hit big plays over the top. Also shows encouraging touch on timing patterns and downfield routes that require it. Good runner by design or scramble. Understands how to protect himself as a runner and minimize shots. Shows encouraging pocket presence and awareness. Senses pressure and knows how to react to it. Also willing to stand and deliver under duress and will take a big shot if it means hanging in there to make the necessary throw. Occasionally will take risks, but that also is part of what makes him so good. Release quickness is good in general but could still quicken a bit at times. Elite QB prospect at the top of the 2022 cycle, at his position and across the board. Future impact high-major starter with long-term potential to be taken high in the NFL Draft.

Even though Ewers was originally committed to Texas, he never stopped communicating with Ohio State, who was likely the No. 2 choice when he made his first commitment, according to recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong.

“Ohio State was the runner-up for Quinn when he committed to Texas in August,” Wiltfong said. “Ohio State is the program that offered Quinn first, way back when. I think they (his family) have a cabin near Columbus also. They have some ties and some roots to the Ohio State area that also makes it convenient for them if Quinn does ultimately choose Ohio State which I think he will. [...] I think he’s looking for a program that has terrific quarterback pedigree, that’s going to maximize his potential and I think they see that with Ryan Day and Ohio State.”

Ohio State’s 2022 class is off to a blazing start. Ewers becomes the eighth commit early in the junior cycle, and immediately becomes the highest-rated member of the group. He is the second composite five-star member of the class, joining LB Gabe Powers. The Buckeyes have now jumped LSU for the No. 1 class, with four of their eight commits ranking in the top 100 nationally.

Want to see Ewers in action? Check out these highlights from his ridiculous 2019 campaign: