4 overreactions from Texas football’s controversial loss to Alabama
A beautiful ball from Quinn Ewers to Xavier Worthy. pic.twitter.com/xyH3SIVdLx
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) September 10, 2022
Quinn Ewers is going to eventually be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft
Despite the detrimental clavicle sprain that Ewers suffered near the end of the first quarter in this tough one-point loss to Alabama, what this second-year quarterback showed in the snaps he did play in this game was nothing short of amazing. Ewers put that insane arm talent that he brings to the table on full display on a dozen passing attempts prior to the hit from Turner that knocked him out at roughly the 14-minute mark of the first quarter.
A few of the throws we saw from Ewers in this game were NFL-caliber passes that will catch the attention of scouts at the next level.
One of the throws that really stood out in this game from Ewers was that beautiful 46-yard deep ball that was right on the money to star sophomore wideout Xavier Worthy. There was another nice ball from Ewers that could’ve gone for a 20+ yard touchdown to Worthy, but the stud sophomore dropped it in the back of the end zone.
It’s pretty crazy that Ewers posted one of the 10 best passing grades in the Power Five this weekend, despite only leading a few drives against one of the most talented defenses in college football.
P5 big-time throw percentage leaders from Week 2 (per PFF):
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) September 12, 2022
1. Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss), 26.3
2. Quinn Ewers (UT), 21.4
T-3. JJ McCarthy (UM), 20.0
T-3. Max Duggan (TCU), 20.0
5. Tanner Morgan (MINN), 15.8 pic.twitter.com/lG4J9yqQRO
Another good illustration of how effective Ewers was while playing in just one quarter for the Longhorns this weekend was his big-time throw percentage.
As a side note, Pro Football Focus defines a big-time throw as a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.
The big-time throw percentage of 21.4 that Ewers posted in Week 2 was good for No. 2 in the Power Five, only behind Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart.
To sum this up, Ewers showing some of these NFL tools this early in his time as a starting quarterback is extremely special. If he can continue showing this type of throwing ability and timing upon his return from this clavicle sprain at some point likely next month, he can lead Texas to a Big 12 Championship Game appearance in December.