Burrow Reflects on Ewers’ Path from Ohio State to Texas and the NFL Draft
Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers is projected to be one of the top five picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. As he fine-tunes his skills ahead of the NFL Combine, Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrowrecently shared his thoughts on Ewers’ collegiate journey and the evolving impact of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) in college football.
Ewers’ Journey: From Ohio State to Texas
Ewers, a former No. 1 overall recruit in the 2021 class (247Sports Composite), was one of the most high-profile quarterbacks to enter the transfer portal in recent years. After reclassifying and enrolling early at Ohio State, he spent one season with the Buckeyes before transferring to Texas, where he became a three-year starter before declaring for the draft.
His journey bears similarities to Burrow’s own path. Burrow also began his collegiate career at Ohio State before transferring, in his case to LSU, where he won a national championship and became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Burrow on Ewers and the Transfer Portal
Speaking on The Dan Patrick Show earlier this week, Burrow discussed Ewers’ path to the NFL and how the transfer portal and NIL have reshaped college football.
“You should take advantage of NIL. If you’re going to be able to make seven figures in college, you’ve got to go and take advantage of that. If you’re in high school and you’re getting offered that, go wherever they’re paying you the most.”
— Joe Burrow
Burrow admitted that if NIL and the transfer portalhad existed when he was in college, he likely would have transferred earlierrather than waiting until he graduated.
“I probably would’ve transferred much earlier than I did, but I had to graduate to go and play. At the time, the transfer portal wasn’t a thing. I think it became a thing the next year after I transferred, but I still think you had to sit out a year.”
— Joe Burrow
Looking Ahead to Ewers’ NFL Future
Burrow’s transfer to LSU in 2018 set the stage for a historic 2019 season, where he led the Tigers to a national title and won the Heisman Trophy before being selected first overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
If Ewers follows a similar trajectory, his future in the NFL looks bright. His elite arm talent and experience at Texas position him as one of the most exciting quarterback prospects in the 2025 draft class.
