Quinn Ewers’ Ohio Gamble: NIL Success Stories - How NIL Laws Drove a Texas Star to Columbus and created one of the best NIL success stories of all time!

Wolfe Sports Recruiting
May 21
5 min read

Updated: Sep 18

In the summer of 2021, Quinn Ewers, an 18-year-old quarterback phenom from Southlake, Texas, made a decision that rocked the sports world. His NIL Success Stories will forever be remembered. With his bleach-blond mullet, 83,000 Instagram followers, and the title of the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the class of 2022, Ewers was Texas high school football royalty. Yet, he chose to skip his senior year at Southlake Carroll High School, forgo a shot at a state championship, and enroll early at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, chasing a $1.4 million Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal. Why? Ohio’s forward-thinking NIL laws for high school athletes opened doors that Texas’ restrictive rules kept firmly shut. As a Central Ohio dad who lives and breathes sports, I see Ewers’ move as a —bold, calculated, and driven by opportunity.

The Texas Talent and the NIL Revolution that has lead to many NIL success stories

Born on March 15, 2003, in San Antonio, Quinn Ewers grew up in Southlake, a Dallas suburb where football is practically religion. At Southlake Carroll High School, he dominated under coach Riley Dodge, racking up 6,445 yards and 73 touchdowns over two varsity seasons, even with a core muscle injury sidelining him for six games as a junior. By his sophomore year, he was slinging 291 of 402 passes for 3,998 yards and 45 touchdowns, drawing comparisons to Texas legends like Vince Young. Ohio State coach Ryan Day offered him a scholarship in eighth grade, and by 2021, Ewers was committed to the Buckeyes, poised to join a quarterback room stacked with talent like C.J. Stroud and Kyle McCord.

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Then came the game-changer: on July 1, 2021, the NCAA introduced its interim NIL policy, allowing college athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness through endorsements, sponsorships, and more. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s Executive Order 2021-10D, signed days earlier, ensured college athletes in Ohio could seize these opportunities without state-level barriers. But the real kicker for Ewers was Ohio’s progressive stance on high school NIL deals. In 2021, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) updated its bylaws to allow high school athletes to monetize their NIL, provided they followed strict guidelines: no use of school logos or uniforms, no deals with prohibited industries (like alcohol or gambling), and full disclosure to schools to maintain eligibility. This made Ohio one of the first states to greenlight NIL for high schoolers, creating a unique window for a recruit like Ewers.

In contrast, Texas’ University Interscholastic League (UIL), which governs high school sports, took a hardline stance. In 2021, UIL rules prohibited high school athletes from earning money through NIL activities, citing the need to preserve amateurism. Any attempt to profit from endorsements or sponsorships risked a Texas athlete’s eligibility to compete. For Ewers, who had brands like Holy Kombucha and GT Sports Marketing dangling six- and seven-figure deals, staying in Texas meant leaving millions on the table. “In Texas, I couldn’t touch NIL as a high schooler,” EwTexas’ restrictive rules pushed him to look north.

The Big Move to Ohio

Ewers faced a tough call: stay in Southlake for his senior year, chasing a Texas 6A state title with his teammates, or reclassify, graduate early, and enroll at Ohio State to cash in on NIL. With one English class left to complete online, he could graduate ahead of schedule and join the Buckeyes’ preseason camp in August 2021. The financial upside was staggering: GT Sports Marketing offered a $1.4 million, three-year deal for autographs, one of the largest NIL contracts for a freshman at the time. “It was a family decision,” Ewers told Barstool Sports’ Jon Gruden. “That kind of money, for me and my parents, was life-changing. Ohio’s laws made it possible.” His parents, Curtis (an oil and gas professional) and Kristen (a teacher), saw it as a chance to secure Quinn’s future while advancing his football career.

Ohio’s NIL landscape was a perfect fit. The OHSAA’s rules allowed Ewers, as an incoming college freshman, to operate under Ohio’s high school framework for the brief period before he officially enrolled at Ohio State. Unlike Texas, where UIL rules would have barred him from signing deals until he reached college, Ohio’s flexibility let him negotiate contracts immediately upon arriving in Columbus. Posts on X captured the buzz: “Quinn Ewers just signed a $1.4M deal and he’s not even started at OSU yet. Ohio’s NIL laws are a game-changer,” wrote @On3NIL. Another user, @JoePompliano, noted, “Ohio letting high schoolers get in on NIL is why Ewers made the move. Texas needs to catch up.”

In August 2021, Ewers landed in Columbus, a far cry from Texas’ Friday night lights. Ohio State’s quarterback room was crowded, with C.J. Stroud emerging as the starter, and Ewers, hampered by a minor injury and late arrival, played just two snaps in a 56-7 blowout of Michigan State. But on the NIL front, he was a superstar. Beyond the GT Sports Marketing deal, he signed with Holy Kombucha and an NFT company, reportedly pushing his earnings past $1.5 million by year’s end. Ohio’s permissive NIL environment, coupled with Columbus’ vibrant sports market, made it the ideal launchpad.

The Cost of the Gamble

The move wasn’t without sacrifice. Ewers missed out on senior year memories—team dinners, homecoming, and the chance to win a state title with friends he’d known since childhood. “It was tough leaving my teammates,” he admitted on X. Critics, like Columbus Dispatch columnist Rob Oller, argued he “traded high school glory for a paycheck,” and some in Columbus questioned whether he was just chasing dollars. The pressure of being a five-star recruit with a seven-figure deal was intense, and Ewers faced lonely moments in a new city, far from home.

By December 2021, Ewers entered the transfer portal, returning to Texas to join the Longhorns. Texas had begun to loosen its NIL stance for college athletes, and Ewers wanted to play closer to home. His Ohio State stint was brief but transformative: he left with over $1.4 million, experience in Ryan Day’s system, and four years of eligibility. “He played the system perfectly,” posted @HuskGuys on X. “Made bank in Ohio, kept his eligibility, and now he’s back at Texas.”

A Trailblazer’s Legacy

Ewers’ Ohio gamble paid off. At Texas, he became the starting quarterback, led the Longhorns to College Football Playoff appearances, and built a $4.3 million NIL portfolio by 2024 with brands like Dr. Pepper and EA Sports. In January 2025, he turned down an $8 million NIL transfer offer to enter the NFL Draft, landing with the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round. His decision to move to Ohio sparked a national conversation about high school NIL laws. By 2025, states like California and New York followed Ohio’s lead, allowing high schoolers to profit from their NIL, while Texas’ UIL began exploring similar changes.

From my perspective at Wolfe Sports Recruiting, Ewers’ story is a lesson in Mamba Mentality—seizing opportunities with relentless focus. Ohio’s progressive NIL laws, rooted in the OHSAA’s 2021 bylaws, gave him a chance Texas couldn’t. Here in Central Ohio, we’re proud to have been part of his journey, and at Wolfe Sports Recruiting, we’re helping local athletes navigate the same rules that made Ewers a pioneer. Whether it’s a Columbus kid signing with a local gym or a volleyball star landing a social media deal, Ohio’s laws are opening doors—and we’re here to guide families through them.