Cade Klubnik, Quinn Ewers set for Texas High School State Championship rematch in CFP

The first-round matchups of the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff were announced on Sunday. Clemson, the winners of the ACC and the No. 12 seed, will head to Austin to take on No. 5-seed Texas on Dec. 21.

There’s plenty of storylines to follow in the lead-up to the all-orange clash inside Texas Memorial Stadium, one of which includes a fun callback to the 2020 UIL Texas High School Football State Championships.

On Jan. 16, 2021 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Austin Westlake and Southlake Carroll squared off in the Class 6A Division 1 State Championship. Leading the charge for Westlake was Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik. On the other side for Southlake Carroll was Texas QB Quinn Ewers.

Klubnik and the Chaparrals prevailed, winning 52-34. Klubnik completed 18 of 20 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 111 yards and a pair of scores. Ewers went 23-39 for 351 yards, three TDs and pair of interceptions in the defeat.

Both teams scored twice in the first quarter, though Westlake took a 28-21 lead into halftime. The Chaparrals then blew things open, scoring 17 unanswered in the third quarter. Carroll scored the final 13 points of the game, though it was too little too late. Westlake out-rushed Carroll 295-50 in the victory.

Just under four years later, Klubnik and Ewers will compete against each other in their home state once again.

Ewers and Klubnik were both No. 1 QB recruits

Ewers was a Five-Star Plus+ prospect and the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2021 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Across two seasons and 25 games played for Southlake Carroll, Ewers completed 70 percent of his passes for 6,445 yards and 73 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. He also ran for over 700 yards and 12 scores.

Ewers, who reclassified, was a one-time Texas commit, but signed with Ohio State, where he spent the 2021 season before transferring to the Longhorns. He’s now 25-8 as a starter during his time in Austin.

Klubnik was also a top-ranked QB, checking in at No. 18 overall in the 2022 cycle. The 6-foot-2.5, 180-pounder won three state championships at Westlake, passing for 7,426 yards and 86 touchdowns.

He went undefeated as a starter, going 30-0 while setting the school record for passing yards, besting the likes of Drew Brees, Nick Foles and Sam Ehlinger. Klubnik committed to Clemson in March of 2021 and enrolled early with Dabo Swinney and the Tigers. He is now 19-8 during his time as a starter in Death Valley.

Westlake and Southlake Carroll remain alive in 2024 playoffs

Nothing has changed since the elite QBs have left their respective high schools, either. In fact, both Westlake and Carroll remain alive in the 2024 UIL Texas Playoffs.

The Chaparrals are now 14-1 and in the 6A Division I semifinals following a 7-point win over Lake Travis last weekend. Now in the 6A Division II bracket, Carroll is now 14-0 following a 56-45 victory over Denton Guyer and is also in the semifinals.

Westlake is set to take on North Shore this weekend, while Carroll will take on Longview. Both the Chaparrals and Dragons are ranked as top-40 teams nationally, according to the On3 Composite Rankings.