There were plenty of surprises in the 2025 NFL Draft, especially when it came to quarterbacks. While Shedeur Sanders' fall to the fifth round dominated headlines, another shocking fall was that of Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers. The former five-star recruit fell all the way to the seventh round, where the Miami Dolphins selected him with the 231st pick.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke at the Touchdown Club of Houston on Monday and discussed Ewers' fall in the draft. Sarkisian backed his now former quarterback, and went after his critics for declaring for the draft instead of transferring to another program for more NIL money.
"But I also think it's ironic that so many things are written and talked about the players from a negative standpoint, that transfer schools or stay in school to take more money, like it's a negative. But all of a sudden here's a guy that said I want to leave a legacy at Texas and I wanted to go play in the NFL and now they're knocking him for not taking the money in college," said Sarkisian, h/t 247Sports. "I don't know which side of the fence everyone sits on on that. But in the end I think it speaks to the character of him, of what he believed in, what he stood for. Nobody wanted to win a national championship as much or more than Quinn on our team the last couple years. And I don't think anybody felt it more than he did when we didn't beat Ohio State with his track record of going to school there. In the end it wasn't about going to another school, it was about the next part of the journey in his career, in his life, and that was going to the NFL. Like I said, he's got a good opportunity in front of him, now it's time to go make the most of it."
Steve Sarkisian goes after critics who attacked Quinn Ewers for declaring for NFL Draft
Texas had a unique quarterback situation with Ewers starting, with Arch Manning waiting in the wings. After the 2024 season, there was a belief that Ewers could possibly transfer to another school to improve his draft stock while still starting, while Texas pivots to Manning. That's what Carson Beck did, opting against declaring for the draft and transferred to Miami. Instead, Ewers wanted to move onto the next step of his football journey, as Sarkisian mentions, and that was to play in the NFL.
Speaking of the NFL, Sarkisian expressed his belief that Ewers couldn't land in a better spot, situationally, than the Dolphins.
"All of us wish he would have gotten drafted higher. But at the end of the day if I could have picked a place that I think is a great fit for him, I think Miami is a great fit," said Sarkisian. "Systematically what Coach McDaniel does is if not exactly the same, very similar to what we do. So there's going to be a level of comfort for him of style of play. He's got some great weapons on the outside, it's a warm-weather place. So in the end I think it's a good fit for him. Now it's about taking advantage of the opportunity that presents itself."
Yes, Ewers will get to learn from Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who has helped give the team a high-powered offense. But Ewers does have a decent shot at playing time. Starter Tua Tagovailoa, while showing he can be a top quarterback in the AFC, has proven to be injury-prone at the NFL level. The backup quarterback is Zach Wilson, who didn't pan out as the second overall pick with the New York Jets and failed to beat Bo Nix for the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback role last season.
So, there is a much feasible chance for Ewers to start games. But he will have to prove himself through training camp and in preseason action. There are some concerns about Ewers dating back to his collegiate career, specifically his injury history and his deep pass accuracy. But if anyone coach could get the most out of Ewers and improve his game, its McDaniel.
Sarkisian believes in Ewers as an NFL quarterback, and wanted to let the world know that he has his back.