Quinn Ewers has decided to forego his final year of college eligibility, and in doing so the star quarterback turned down at least one massive NIL offer.
Ewers was offered an $8 million NIL deal to transfer from Texas to a new school, according to Chip Brown of Horns247. That would have paid Ewers more in one season than the $6 million combined he reportedly made in his three years at Texas.
Ewers announced on Wednesday that he will enter the 2025 NFL Draft. The Texas native said he had wanted to play for the Longhorns his entire life and was able to fulfill that dream.
Analysts are split on where they expect Ewers to be drafted. Some say he could go late in the first round, while others believe he might drop as far as the third. Whether or not Ewers will make more with his first NFL contract than the $8 million he reportedly turned down depends on where he is drafted.
If Ewers is drafted late in the first round, he could sign a deal worth roughly $13 million. If he drops beyond the middle half of the second round, his rookie contract will be worth less than $8 million.
Riley Dodge, Ewers’ high school coach at Southlake Carroll, told Horns247 this week that Ewers did not want to play college football anywhere other than Texas. With the Longhorns seemingly committed to Arch Manning heading into 2025, that may have played a role in Ewers’ decision to turn pro.
Ewers probably boosted his draft stock a bit with his the way he performed in the College Football Playoff. Either way, he is definitely taking somewhat of a risk if he turned down $8 million.
