Quinn Ewers had a solid 2024-25 campaign. On Wednesday, he declared for the draft, foregoing his final season of eligibility — and potentially an immense amount of NIL money. However, college football and NFL Draft analysts were left scratching their heads with the decision.
Several had jokes, including talking head Danny Kanell, who had a unique analogy to describe Ewers’ decision.
Danny Kanell Mocks Quinn Ewers For Reportedly Rejecting Massive NIL Offer, Entering NFL Draft
Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers raised many eyebrows across the college football community on Wednesday when he announced his intention to enter the 2025 NFL Draft.
Rumors had spread that he was set to enter the transfer portal following the conclusion of Texas’s season. Many college football and draft analysts thought that would be the best idea for Ewers.
As the season progressed, it became increasingly clear that the Longhorn’s starter in 2026 would more than likely be Arch Manning, who flashed potential early in the season filling in for the injured Ewers, and has waited his turn for two seasons as the backup.
The expectation would be that Ewers would enter the transfer portal and a groundbreaking NIL bidding war would ensue for his services. That didn’t happen — but it was seemingly on the table for the Ewers, who reportedly had NIL offers of $8 million. Yes, you read that right.
CBS Sports’ Danny Kanell reacted with a hilarious analogy that he posted to his X account, comparing the situation to one of the most regrettable decisions in US business history.
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“If Quinn Ewers turned down $8 million to play college football in 2025,” he wrote, “it would go down as the worst financial decision we’ve seen since Ronald Wayne left Apple as a cofounder just 12 days after founding the company with Steve Jobs.”
Now, that’s an extremely high number. Reports can be wrong at times, but the idea still stands. Ewers, widely graded as a third- to fourth-round draft pick, would make a fraction of that NIL valuation in the NFL.
While no quarterback was selected in that range in 2024, former Fresno State Bulldogs quarterback Jake Haener was drafted in the fourth round in 2023, 127th overall. His average annual salary? $1,136,204. Across four seasons, he’ll net a total of just over $4.5 million.
That’s a far cry from $8 million — or even half of that, as another quarterback just received on the NIL market after shunning the NFL Draft.
Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck received $4 million in NIL money to join the Miami Hurricanes — for one season. Beck and Ewers were coupled together as far as scouts were concerned; two talented but unpolished players who didn’t have the season they expected to have in 2024. The recommendation was for both to transfer and develop for one more season at the college level.
Beck did just that, and he was lauded not only for his decision to stay one more season and work on his weaknesses, but for his intelligent financial decision.
Is this a case of extreme confidence on Ewers’ part? If he goes to the right situation in the NFL and earns a big second contract, everyone will be eating their words. Ewers will be justified forever.
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But looking at the situation from a perspective of the present — and, quite frankly, the future as well in terms of development — it’s hard to see how Ewers came to this decision.
While Kanell is exaggerating, the idea is similar: a long-view approach completely bypassed — and in Ewers’ case, a large sum of upfront money, as well.
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