Quinn Ewers is ready to be a pro, just ask Steve Sarkisian and Jon Gruden

Steve Sarkisian can point to a number of positions and say he was able to develop players into NFL talents at Texas. Sarkisian has had players at running back, linebacker, cornerback, defensive tackle, wide receiver, tight end, and offensive tackle drafted into the NFL during his time at Texas. A number of positions are likely to join that group this year, including the one Sarkisian believes is the most important in sports.

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Quarterback Quinn Ewers is a likely day two selection after a three-year career in Austin where he went 27-9 as a starter with a Big 12 Championship and two appearances in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. He’s third all-time at Texas in passing yards (9128), touchdowns (68), and completions (737), sitting behind several other players who put up their numbers in four-year stints on the 40 Acres.

While he would have likely been a late-round selection last year, Ewers elected to return for one more college season The 2024 campaign had its ups and downs, including another injury that relegated him to the sideline for multiple games for the third time in his UT career. But his play in critical moments, namely the 2024 College Football Playoff first round game against Clemson and the 2025 Peach Bowl versus Arizona State, stands as evidence of what he can bring to an NFL franchise.

Sarkisian’s track record with quarterbacks is long and often repeated. At USC he was able to coach legends like Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart along with high draft picks like Mark Sanchez. When he was with Washington, Sarkisian guided Jake Locker to a first round selection. Cody Kessler, who he coached during his abbreviated USC stint, became a third-rounder. Of course, at Alabama he produced 2020’s No. 5 overall pick in Tua Tagovailoa and 2021’s No. 15 overall pick in Mac Jones.

Ewers’ career timeline delayed the addition of a Longhorn to that list, but come Friday at the latest, Sarkisian will have evidence of his ability to put players into the league at QB stemming from his time at Texas.

“It’s exciting,” Sarkisian said Tuesday. “The quarterback thing, obviously, just because of my history hits home a little bit differently.”

Sarkisian would continue saying he wants to see players from every position make it to the NFL. Plus, in addition to quarterback, he’s likely to produce his first Texas draft selections at defensive end, safety, guard, and center in this weekend’s draft.

But he knows how valuable it is to have a pro from Texas.

“We’ve been fortunate to have a good one here the past few three with Quinn,” Sarkisian said. “Now we’ve got to recreate it here with Arch (Manning) and then Trey (Owens) and KJ (Lacey). It’s all part of the process but I’m proud of Quinn. He’s worked really hard. Someone’s going to get a very good player.”

And if Ewers’ appearance on Gruden’s QB Class with Barstool Sports’ Jon Gruden is anything to go off of, Ewers is ready to be a pro.

Ewers earns high praise from Jon Gruden

Jon Gruden and Barstool Sports have brought back Gruden’s QB Class, something that’s part mock meeting with an NFL coach, part entertainment, part positive draft publicity, part workout, and part manna from heaven for a football junkie. Gruden reprises his role as a head coach out of a job but obsessed with football, looking to see if quarterbacks from the upcoming crop of signal-callers are cut out for the NFL.

Gruden sat with Ewers for a video that premiered Monday, diving into his career. While there were criticisms of Ewers, including one for a TikTok posted by his girlfriend, Gruden spoke glowingly about some of the highlights of Ewers’ time at Texas.

"This is a Play to beat a 2-High Look. The TE is supposed to cross the Safety's Face–that's how we teach it, but he's not a robot.

We don't run Drawings at the University of Texas."

– Quinn Ewers pic.twitter.com/IByzGvX9wM

— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) April 21, 2025

They dove into his background, including a seventh grade scholarship offer, a million dollar memorabilia deal that drove him to Ohio State, and Ewers’ decision to return home.

“I wanted to have my support group around me to get the initial part of my career going off in the right direction,” Ewers said. “Being close to fans is nice. Being in the home state playing in the burnt orange, look at that man.”

Ewers was brutally honest about his time at Texas, including about a benching many thought might have ended his time as a starter in a Longhorn uniform. Ewers rode the pine until halftime of Texas’ loss to Georgia in the regular season, but it’s something he felt made him a better quarterback.

“It made the year tough,” Ewers said. “It’s just the reality of the position. Looking back, I’m not glad that it happened in the moment but I’m glad I had to go through it.”

An amusing moment came when Gruden noticed Ewers altered his footwork throughout his career. A facet of Ewers’ game long bemoaned by Texas fans, Gruden challenged Ewers to stick to the principles that made him a high level quarterback instead of constantly saying yes to whatever suggestions might come. Gruden shocked Ewers by saying he knew “you were in Sonny Detmer’s camp in third grade.”

But Ewers passed Gruden’s test with flying colors if the Super Bowl champion’s reactions were anything to go by. On the chalkboard, Ewers recreated Gruden’s terminology. In a passing session with South Florida players, Ewers hit all the high marks and made the needed throws in schemes Gruden had taught him not too long earlier.

Ewers, as he always was at Texas, looked calm, cool, and collected. Even though Gruden tried to get a little more fire out of him via his cadence at the line of scrimmage, he left impressed with the play of the first Texas quarterback likely to be put into the NFL by Sarkisian.

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“This guy could be one of the next shredders,” Gruden said. “He showcased it today.”