Quinn Ewers looking to make his mark at Texas: 'I want to be someone who is remembered'

Seconds before halftime in Texas' eventual 52-0 dismantling of Colorado State on Saturday, quarterback Quinn Ewers veered to his right and positioned his body like he was going to throw the ball to tight end Amari Niblack in the flat. Instead, Ewers went across his body and dazzled with an 11-yard no-look pass to wide receiver Matthew Golden for a touchdown that gave the Longhorns a 31-0 lead at the break.

Social media quickly reacted with comparisons to Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford. And after the game, Ewers admitted that yes, he did it on purpose on his way to completing 20 of 27 passes for 260 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in two-and-a-half quarters. 

It was the first game of the year, but his performance sparked headlines, impressed pundits and indicated that whatever expectations have been placed on Ewers this season, he is ready to take them on.

Heading into a massive Week 2 showdown against the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines (12 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App), Ewers is viewed as a Heisman Trophy candidate and projected to be a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. While he fell short of those expectations last year, they are back on the table, and the stakes are even higher.

That's because now, Ewers, who is in his third season as the Longhorns' starting QB, is the face of the No. 3 team in the country that's widely considered to be a national championship contender in its first year in the SEC. He's on the cover of EA Sports "College Football 25," has an estimated $2M NIL valuation, and is the new face of Dr. Pepper's "Fansville" commercial.

All of those off-the-field accomplishments are great – and what generally comes with the territory for top college football players these days. But for Ewers, in what is likely his final collegiate season, success is defined by achieving his ultimate goal. 

"He wants to win a national championship," Riley Dodge, Ewers' high school coach at Southlake Carroll High School, told FOX Sports. "And be one of those guys that the University of Texas talks about for a long time."

That starts with beating No. 10 Michigan in Ann Arbor on Saturday. It is only the second meeting ever between the programs, and first in the regular season, but Ewers already has experience at The Big House. This will be his second trip there after visiting as a backup quarterback for Ohio State in 2021. At SEC Media Days in July, Ewers even referred to Michigan as "The Team Up North."

"I understand the hatred that Ohio State has for them," Ewers said. "I understand the rivalry. So it's going to be cool to carry that."

The Longhorns' first SEC game is still a few weeks away, but the Wolverines present an early challenge, especially defensively. The unit, led by All-American cornerback Will Johnson, was ranked No. 1 in the country last year and is still elite. Ewers will be throwing the ball around to a new cast of wide receivers after losing his top-five pass catchers to the NFL. Golden, Isaiah Bond and Silas Bolden were all quality additions via the transfer portal, and all three caught touchdown passes in last week's opener.

This past offseason, Ewers spent significant time building chemistry with his new pass-catching additions, even hosting them at his high school's indoor facility just to throw the ball around during the summer. It's those moments that show Ewers' growth as a leader, a crucial part of his development that goes hand in hand with on-field production when it comes to what level of success is or isn't in store for Texas this fall. 

Ewers has come a long way in that department, from having his car towed after his first start in 2022, to getting serious the following spring and chopping off his mullet, to then leading the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff in 2023.

In past years, Ewers has been fortunate to have veterans like Bijan Robinson, Roschon Johnson, Jordan Whittington and others to lead the team. Now it's his turn and he understands the responsibility. A quiet person by nature, no one would ever describe Ewers as a rah-rah guy. But he's been known to show his fiery side on occasion, be it celebrating after a big play or having a stern conversation with a teammate. He leads by example. "That's what Quinn does best," Texas defensive back Michael Taaffe said. 

"He's not a ‘me guy,’" Dodge added when speaking about Ewers' humble mentality. "He loves the responsibility of playing quarterback. But I think his gift is, he's very comfortable in his own skin. He's gonna be who he is. He's not gonna morph into who people think he should be on and off the field, and I think that's an amazing quality."

Look no further than Ewers' personal Instagram account, where he often posts about his teammates' honors and accolades, not just his own.

"This guy is exuding confidence right now," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said in July. "And there's nothing better for anybody in your organization, for anybody in your building to walk in and to say, ‘There's our guy.'"

Sarkisian views Ewers' even disposition as important for Texas. If his QB doesn't get too high or too low or caught up in the hype, that could benefit the Longhorns in their first season in the SEC.

"Quinn is probably, like, the coolest guy in the room," Sarkisian said after noting how much he's grown from Year 2 to Year 3. "If you asked him [about the Heisman], would he even know? When Quinn gets free time, he's going to go hunt or he's going to go fish. When he's here, he's going to work, and he's just working on his craft and being with his teammates."

Ewers is also in a unique position. A former No. 1 overall recruit, he's used to media attention. He's the unequivocal starter and has been for two seasons. But he's pushed every day by the most famous backup in the sport – Arch Manning – who was also a former No. 1 recruit, and is anxious to play. Manning relieved Ewers in the third quarter this past Saturday and went 5-of-6 for 95 yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing score. Fans audibly cheered when he entered the game, and afterward, there were what seemed like as many postgame stories about Ewers as Manning – which is not your usual starter-backup dynamic.

Ewers and Manning are good friends. They room together on the road and Manning said last year that he likes to pick Ewers' brain about the position. At January's Sugar Bowl Media Day, Manning drew a significantly larger crowd of reporters than Ewers. At SEC Media Days, the first question Sarkisian answered was about Manning. These things don't appear to irk Ewers though, at least not outwardly. In fact, in the latest episode of "Fansville by Dr. Pepper," Deputy Ewers cleverly pokes fun at the situation by telling the sheriff that he doesn't need any backup, "even if he has great hair and famous relatives."

"I'm just a lot more comfortable in my own shoes," Ewers said. "It's Year 3 for me, so it was time for me to really go full speed ahead at this whole taking charge and that whole deal. I'm just being more outspoken and holding people accountable and just letting go of ego and pride." 

Ewers could have packed up his things, handed the keys to Manning and left Texas for the NFL after the CFP. But he wanted to continue his development under Sarkisian's guidance so that, in return, he would be better prepared once he does eventually turn pro.

And why not try to make a little history along the way?

"I don't want to be a guy that just comes and goes," Ewers said. "I want to be somebody who is remembered."

Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]