Quinn Ewers is a fringe first-round quarterback for Texas football. The Texas Longhorns picked 11 players in the 2024 NFL Draft last season, with Xaiver Worthy and Byron Murphy II being the two most notable first-round selections.
The offensive skill position cupboard in Austin, Texas, was left empty when Worthy, a speedster who just finished with 1,000 yards, left for the NFL along with tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, running backs Jonathan Brooks and Keilan Robinson, and wideouts Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington.
Despite their impressive 5-1 start to the season, Ewers has been impacted by the lack of returns at pass-catcher positions. However, Texas’ 30-15 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium last weekend demonstrated the absence of experienced, high-end playmakers. Ewers is having his worst season in one key statistical area going into this Saturday’s game against a Vanderbilt Commodores team that is rated.
In his debut season with Texas football in 2022, quarterback Quinn Ewers completed 296 passes for 2,177 yards and 15 touchdowns. The following season, Ewers passed for 3,479 yards, attempted 394 passes, and completed a career-high 69% of his throws, although his average target depth marginally decreased. But with his top five pass-catchers from the previous season gone, his average depth of target has suffered greatly in 2024.
This season, the Texas Longhorns also made the switch to the SEC. However, UT is 32nd in SOS in 2024 and was 2nd in the strength of schedule measure last year. Ewers is 103-for-151 with 1,101 yards, 11 touchdowns, and four interceptions through five games.