Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers signs NIL deal with C4 Energy following Alabama win

Quinn Ewers revamped his approach to football this offseason.

The former Five-Star Plus+ quarterback cut his mullet off. He lost 20 pounds, dedicating himself to learning the Texas playbook. He talked about wanting to be more comfortable on the field.

On Saturday night in Tuscaloosa, Ewers looked like the quarterback many always expected he could be. He delivered answers when Alabama scored on back-to-back drives. Against a Tide defense filled with NFL draft prospects, he made the smart decisions to put Texas in a position to win.

He showed off his arm strength, airing it out and finding his top target Xavier Worthy for a 44-yard touchdown pass. Texas appears ready to compete for a College Football Playoff berth after picking up its first road win versus an AP top-three team since 1969.

Ewers finished 24 of 38 for 349 yards with three touchdowns in the 34-24 win. He may have answered plenty of NFL scouts’ questions in the process, too.

Since the quarterback entered the college ranks at Ohio State in 2021, NIL has always been a major component of his college experience. With more than 210,000 social media followers, brands want to work with the star. Anything he accomplishes on the field will only help.

C4 Energy is cashing in on his breakout performance. The energy drink has signed an NIL partnership with Ewers, announced on Instagram in the early hours of Sunday morning. For an athlete who has already worked with plenty of major companies, adding an endorsement contract with C4 could be the start of a slew of agreements.

Launched in 2011 as a powder-based drink, the brand shifted to a C4 carbonated energy drink in 2018. NFL athletes including Justin Fields, Bijan Robinson and CJ Stroud have long-term ambassador contracts with the company.

Now Ewers can join the growing list, capitalizing on a performance that could launch him into the Heisman conversation.

 I’m just so proud of my team, our defense,” he said to ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe after the victory. “We balled out. I’m fired up for the rest of the way. I’m fired up.”

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What Alabama win means for Quinn Ewers’ NIL brand

Arguably the most marketable athlete on the Texas roster, Austin businesses will want to align their brand next to Ewers. If the Longhorns can continue to roll, plenty of well-known companies could be lining up to work with the quarterback. Plenty of brands prefer to strike NIL agreements after the first month of the season, waiting to see who has a breakout start to the season.

Quinn Ewers has plenty of experience working in the NIL space. Represented by Sportstars and Rubicon, the quarterback signed at least six endorsement deals last season. He landed a deal with GT Sports Marketing worth $1.4 million when he enrolled at Ohio State a year early because the state of Texas does not allow high school players to monetize their NIL.

Now repped by Sportstars and Rubicon, he launched a partnership with Metabillia last year to create digital collectibles for fans. The agreement was somewhere in the seven-figure range, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

In recent weeks, he rolled out his new custom merchandise line produced by Vapor Apparel. The quarterback has inked an exclusive NIL agreement with Panini America. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound quarterback also collaborated with designer Tyler Upchurch before the Alabama matchup to release 200 limited-edition posters marked at $100.

The third-year quarterback currently holds a $912,000 On3 NIL Valuation, which ranks in the top 25 of college football. There’s little doubt the number will climb when the valuations are updated on Tuesday, thanks to his on-field performance and social media growth.

Odds are his NIL reps are already fielding calls, too.