When a major program loses a key recruit, Rivals.com takes a look at how big of a blow it is to the respective school, analyzing it from a local and national level. To quantify the “sting” of each decommitment, we assign a score from 1-10, with one being no big deal and 10 being a catastrophic hit.
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RELATED: What's next for five-star QB Quinn Ewers?
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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THE STORYLINE
Quinn Ewers decommitted from Texas on Wednesday night, striking a major blow to the Longhorns and possibly to the future of coach Tom Herman unless things change drastically in Austin - and soon.
The fallout from Ewers’ decision cannot be understated as the 2022 five-star quarterback from Southlake (Texas) Carroll was the top-ranked prospect at his position and the sixth-best recruit in his class, a talent that does not come around every recruiting class and someone who could have been the face of Texas football in the coming years.
Instead, it looks like Ewers might not only have backed off his Texas pledge on Wednesday night but it’s becoming clear that Ohio State could land his new commitment soon, taking the Longhorns out of the picture at least for the time being.
The Longhorns are now down to two commitments in the 2022 recruiting cycle from four-star receiver Phaizon Wilson and four-star defensive back Jaylon Guilbeau.
In the 2021 recruiting class, Texas recently dealt with the decommitment of high four-star athlete Billy Bowman out of Denton (Texas) Ryan who could very well end up at Oklahoma. Texas is currently ranked No. 18 in the team rankings, three spots behind the Sooners and two behind Texas A&M.
LOCAL REACTION
“There is really no way to sugarcoat this one. Losing the commitment of Ewers, you could call it borderline catastrophic for Texas and for Herman. Ewers is the top quarterback in his class and arguably the top prospect in the class and he was the guy Texas planned to be the foundation piece of their 2022 recruiting class and possibly even the resurgence of this Texas program.
“It has been a tumultuous season for Texas on the field and off the field and losing Ewers is another significant hit in Herman’s tenure. There has already been speculation on Herman’s future at Texas and whether he would survive the rest of this season and losing Ewers could be another factor in the ultimate decision.” - Jason Suchomel, OrangeBloods.com
Sting factor: 10
NATIONAL REACTION
“You don’t need many words to describe what a disaster this is for Texas. If I could give it higher number than a 10 I would. This could signal the true beginning of the end for Tom Herman as the countdown begins towards his firing. That’s how big losing a five-star, in-state QB talent is for the Longhorns.” — Mike Farrell, National Recruiting Director
Sting factor: 10
