This past October, the Texas Longhorns and former head coach Tom Herman took a major hit on the recruiting trail, when top quarterback Quinn Ewers of Southlake Carroll de-committed from the university.
That loss was made even more painful when Ewers made a commitment to Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes, seemingly ending the Longhorns' chances at finding their next elite star quarterback.
That all changed, however, when Texas moved on from Herman and hired former Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian as its new head coach, and shortly afterward, got a commitment from another top signal-caller in Junipero Serra (CA) QB, Maalik Murphy.
Since then, it appears the Longhorns have had minimal contact with the Southlake star, who, following an impressive performance at Elite 11 Dallas camp, caught up with SI All-American and Longhorns Country to discuss his recruitment.
"Not too much no," Ewers said when asked about his contact with the Longhorns. "minimal (communication)."
Ewers ended his day at Elite 11 with the coveted invite to the finals in California, alongside another former Longhorns target, Cade Klubnik, and Florida Gators commitment Nick Evers.
"It's pretty easy," Ewers said after earning the invite on his home high school practice field. "It doesn't feel a whole lot different out here because obviously, I'm on this field pretty much every day. I just came out here and threw the ball around. It's easy when you've got friends that are also here. But overall just had a good time, and came out here and spun the ball a little bit."
The junior, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 205 pounds, led the Dragons to a 12-1 record and a state title berth this against Austin Westlake, despite missing time during the season due to an injury -- An injury that he is still feeling three months later.
"So I had core muscles that tore off of my pelvic bone," Ewers revealed about his injury. "I had surgery, and it's usually around a 12-14 week process, and I came back in probably six weeks I think it was. I feel so much better now. I'm probably 95-percent."
In 2020, Ewers finished that injury-plagued campaign with 2,442 yards and 28 touchdowns, and five interceptions, averaging 305.3 yards per game through the air.
In 2019, playing a fully healthy campaign, Ewers was even more productive, passing for 4,003 yards and 45 touchdowns, as well as rushing for 568 yards and nine touchdowns.
More must-reads: