One of the top-rated quarterback recruits of all time will be coming to Ohio State a year earlier than expected. Quinn Ewers, the five-star talent out of Southlake Carroll High School in Texas released a statement on Monday confirming his intentions to skip his senior year of high school and enroll as an eligible player at OSU this fall.
It was a story that worked its way through the news cycle rather quickly, and there’s no doubt it’ll be a polarizing topic across the college landscape. Ewers is one of the most marketable kids you’ll find and he’s poised to make a lot of money in endorsements and other financial benefits because of new opportunities with name, image, and likeness. Opportunities that he doesn’t have as a Texas high school athlete.
Lost in all of this is how his teammates and coaches at Southlake Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas feel. As with society, there are sure to be those that have opinions on both sides of the fence.
Ewers’ high school coach, Riley Dodge, took to Twitter to provide a statement on Ewers’ decision. It wasn’t a long statement, but one in which Dodge was ready to turn the page for his football team while complimenting the person that Ewers is.
“We recognize the in-depth research by the University Interscholastic League on Texas’ NIL Legislation on determining what is allowed by law for Texas high school athletes,” Dodge wrote. “After gathering and analyzing all information, Quinn decided what he felt is best for his future is to forego his senior year. The entire Dragon community will greatly miss Quinn on and off the field. He is an incredible young man who exemplifies what it means to be a Dragon — inspiring excellence in his teammates and modeling what excellence looks like in the classroom and on the field.
“Dragon nation is very proud of what Quinn has accomplished, and we wish him the best at Ohio State. At this time, we respectfully ask that everyone allows our program to continue to concentrate on the 2021 football season and our Dragon athletes.”
#ProtectTheTradition #NoFear #Finish pic.twitter.com/O7TeA1s1kV
— Riley Dodge (@coachrdodge) August 2, 2021
It’ll be interesting to see how Ewers’ high school team does without him pulling the trigger under center. The program is a proud one in the state of Texas, but not having a kid with his talent coming back is going to leave a huge hole. Hopefully, whoever is next in the saddle can be the next best thing for the team.
