The 2024 college football season presents an entirely new landscape. Texas is in the SEC. SMU is back in a power conference as ACC members. The College Football Playoff now includes 12 teams and an automatic bid for the best G5 team in the land. For most, the start of the season is in Week 1 on August 30, though SMU starts in Week 0 and TCU plays its first game on Aug. 29. 

To celebrate us making it through another off-season, we’re counting down the 50 most important players in Texas as we inch closer to kickoffs. This list isn’t necessarily about which players are the best in terms of NFL draft stock. It ranks players in order of importance to their team's success. 

NO. 14: TEXAS QB QUINN EWERS

The history: The Southlake Carroll product left the Dragons a year early to earn NIL money at Ohio State rather than play his senior season. He was a five-star prospect who led Southlake to a Class 6A championship game as a junior despite battling injuries for most of the season. Ewers didn’t play much as a true freshman in 2021 for the Buckeyes and transferred to Texas when Steve Sarkisian was hired to replace Tom Herman as head coach. 

Ewers started 10 games for the Horns in 2022 – his first year on the Forty Acres. He threw for 2,177 yards and 15 touchdowns to six interceptions as he was named honorable mention Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year by the league’s coaches. His 2,177 passing yards were the fifth-most by a freshman QB at Texas. He was a second-team All-Big 12 selection after 2023 when he started 12 games and passed for 3,479 yards – the fourth most in school history. His six 300-yard passing games in one season tied a program record. 

The skillset: Ewers was a can’t-miss five-star prospect out of high school with a perfect rating from 247Sports. He earned his first offer before playing a varsity game in high school. He’s unquestionably talented and a future first round NFL draft pick with a healthy 2024. Ewers is accurate, especially in the intermediate and short passing game. He possesses a quick release and a strong arm. He’s struggled some with downfield passing in his two seasons starting for the Horns, but he’s shown promise in those areas. He’s also more athletic than people give him credit for. 

The impact: The loss of running back CJ Baxter makes Ewers even more important for Texas in 2024. A strong backup in Arch Manning keeps Ewers from making the top 10 of the Lone Star 50, but Ewers’ health is still a vital piece of the puzzle for Texas to reach its goals of winning an SEC championship in Year 1 as a member and to reach the College Football Playoff for the second year in a row. The Longhorns lost their five best pass catchers and four of their five leading rushers from the 2023 Big 12 championship squad. Ewers must lead a new group of faces to success.