What Quinn Ewers’ Commitment Means for Ohio State’s 2022 Class

Five-star Southlake Carroll (Texas) quarterback Quinn Ewers officially announced his decommitment from Texas less than a month ago and today has found a new home.

The country's No. 1-ranked pro-style quarterback and No. 2 overall player in the 2022 class has committed to Ohio State.

It's a massive, massive get for Ryan Day and quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis, both of whom never backed off of Ewers' recruitment even after his pledge to Tom Herman and Mike Yurcich and now have landed one of the biggest commitments in the Buckeyes' 2020, 2021 and 2022 classes combined. 

Let's take a look at what Ewers brings to the Buckeyes on the field, off the field and the future of the program in the class as a whole.

On the field

Take a look at just one minute of Ewers' tape and it jumps out pretty instantly why he's rated so highly, starting with his 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame that checks off the box of a prototypical quarterback frame.

He has the arm strength to make just about any throw on the field (he's on tape having thrown an 85-yard pass in practice), and on the first throw I watched, he takes a three-step drop and smoothly drops in a throw that goes about 48 yards in the air over a pair of defenders to an in-stride receiver for a touchdown. He couldn't have walked the ball out to his receiver and handed it to him with more accuracy.

Ewers makes those types of throws all the time, making them look routine, with a smooth, natural throwing motion and calmness in the pocket as he puts passes in spots where only his receiver can catch it, often placed perfectly to where his pass-catcher has enough room to still make a grab on the sidelines.

One thing I kept waiting on while watching Ewers' film and highlights was how he handled instances in which he had to stand in against pressure because a lot of his throws are made with a clean pocket and plenty of time to throw. Even when he did have defensive ends or linebackers bearing down on him, he still stood strong and delivered balls on time and on target. He also has the ability to make accurate throws on the run when scrambling left or right, and he can make throws from different arm angles when needed.

He has mobility in the pocket, athleticism and also has some strength and thickness to him, making him an effective runner who's not afraid to pull the ball down and scramble through the middle of the defense when needed (though he's smart enough to slide and not take unnecessary hits). Oh, and he also showed off his hands by catching a touchdown pass in a carbon copy of Nick Foles' Philly Special.

As a sophomore, he threw for more than 4,000 yards and had a 45:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio while adding 568 yards rushing and nine touchdowns.

Oh, and he's doing all of this for a state powerhouse at the highest level of Texas high school football in 6A, the same classification where Jaxon Smith-Njigba starred as a record-breaking receiver at Rockwall High School.

In other words, Ohio State fans have every right to be as excited as you are in landing Ewers' commitment. The future is bright for the quarterback position in Columbus.

Texas commit Quinn Ewers, the no. 1 ranked junior in the nation threw for 384 yards and 5 TD in a 72-57 Southlake Carroll win! #hookem @quinn_ewers pic.twitter.com/UaRTEzKLBl

— Who's Next (@WhosNextHS) October 3, 2020

Texas commit @QuinnEwers shows off his running skill pic.twitter.com/BsfmWy3Wfw

— Mike Roach (@MikeRoach247) October 23, 2020

Ewers is the highest-ranked quarterback prospect since No. 2 overall player Bryce Young (Alabama) in 2020, and he is the Buckeyes' No. 2-ranked all-time recruit behind Terrelle Pryor. At No. 2 overall, he holds the same ranking as Justin Fields in the 2018 class.

He has garnered comparisons to Trevor Lawrence, though Lawrence was bigger at 6-foot-6, 208 pounds coming out of the 2018 recruiting class, and 247Sports national analyst Gabe Brooks compared him to Philip Rivers and has him pegged as a potential top-10 NFL draft pick:

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.

Day put Dwayne Haskins (2019 draft) into the first round of the NFL draft. Justin Fields is a top-five lock in 2021 and is pushing for the No. 1 or No. 2 overall spot. Day has a pair of five-stars (Kyle McCord, Ewers), another borderline five-star (C.J. Stroud) and another (Jack Miller) who would have been a borderline five-star if not for multiple injuries.

The No. 1 player in the Class of 2022 - @QuinnEwers - has been putting on a show during the early part of his junior season.

2020 : https://t.co/syZvWmlazD pic.twitter.com/8RYeReRiX2

— MaxPreps (@MaxPreps) October 29, 2020

Ewers is the next ultra-level prospect Day is bringing in as he is quickly turning Ohio State into a haven for quarterbacks. In a recruiting sense, Day has the Buckeyes in the upper echelon of schools that the nation's best quarterbacks want to come to for pro development, and they are becoming a top contender for the title of QBU.

Off the field

A huge reason Ohio State was able to land Ewers is Day's history with the young star. 

Before he had ever played a high school snap, all the way back in the summer ahead of his freshman year, Ewers put in a star-turning performance at an Ohio State camp, and Day pulled the trigger on extending an offer. 

Day and Corey Dennis did a phenomenal job building a relationship with Ewers, and Dennis played an integral role in getting Ewers to the Buckeyes, not slowing down his requirement of the Texas star even after he had committed to the Longhorns.

In the class

This is likely the latest domino to fall in what could be something incredibly special brewing in the Buckeyes' 2022 cycle as Ewers' reputation as being one of the best quarterback prospects in the last five recruiting classes is big enough that he could bring in plenty more high-profile targets with him.

C.J. Hicks, the program's third commitment of the class back in May, told Eleven Warriors in August, “My goal is to be better than (Ohio State's) 2021 class. They have 18 or 19 commits, so I’m just telling (2022 recruits) if they wanna be great, let’s be better than them. They’re setting a record or something over there with the guys they’ve got committed. 

“It’s not intimidating. I look at it as a challenge. I think we can break their record.”

On Oct. 29, Day was asked about the importance of effective peer recruiters and said, “Group type of stuff that's gone on has been really strong, and that's why when you recruit guys in your class, you wanna bring in leaders, guys of high character, so that they bring those types of guys in there. Because they spend more time with the recruits than we do. I think that's really, really important.”

Well, Ohio State having landed both Hicks and Dasan McCullough has helped pave the way for a class that could wind up ranked No. 1 in America by the time this cycle's National Signing Day arrives next December.

At quarterback, there is still the possibility that the Buckeyes to bring in a second signal caller in this class by signing a lesser-recruited, more developmental type of prospect to stock the quarterback room. After all, there is a possibility that Ohio State's scholarship quarterbacks in 2022 will be Stroud, Miller, Kyle McCord and Ewers, though there remains the possibility of Stroud, Miller or even McCord transferring by that time – especially with the one-time transfer rule and extra year of eligibility for Stroud and Miller to taken into consideration.

A couple targets include three-star in-state guys Drew Allar of Medina and Chase Harrison of Centerville.