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Texas QB Quinn Ewers and Clemson QB Cade Klubnik meet again in CFB Playoff

On3 imageby: Justin Wells12/10/24
Quinn Ewers
(Birm/Lettermen Row)

In 2021, two of the best high school quarterbacks in the nation faced off in the Texas high school football state championship game. Quinn Ewers and Cade Klubnik battled for the 6A Division I state title in 2021, and now in 2024 they’ll face each other in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday, December 21 in Austin, Texas.

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Both signal-callers took interesting paths to get to this rematch. Ewers was a Five-Star Plus+ prospect and the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2021 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

At Southlake Carroll (Texas), Ewers completed 70 percent of his passes for 6,445 yards and 73 touchdowns, with just eight interceptions. He also ran for over 700 yards and 12 scores in just over two seasons. After a year spent at Ohio State, Ewers is in his third year as the Longhorns’ starting quarterback in Austin.

For Austin (Texas) Westlake, Klubnik was also a highly-rated prospect ranked the No. 18 overall in the 2022 cycle. The 6-foot-2.5, 180-pounder snagged three state championships at Westlake, notching 7,426 passing yards and 86 touchdowns. He went 30-0 as a starter after setting the school record for passing yards, topping former Chaps Drew Brees, Nick Foles and Sam Ehlinger. 

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian recruited both elite passers. And now both will converge on Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in two Saturdays to rekindle the rivalry.

Sarkisian said he “recruited (Klubnik) hard” when talking about the Central Texas native and former Austin resident.

“He’s a winner,” Sarkisian said. “He’s going to do what it takes. He’ll throw it. He’ll run it. He’ll block. Then that guy will do whatever it takes to try to put his team in position to be successful.”

Swinney spoke about the two big-time quarterbacks with the media on Monday.

“When Texas came up, it was like ‘oh, this is amazing,'” said Swinney. “There are a lot of storylines. (Kluibnik) is obviously from Austin. Went to Westlake there, one of the best quarterbacks to come out of the state of Texas. Also, him and Ewers went head to head a lot in high school. It’s all about the game but that’s also a really cool storyline for our quarterback. You never know how things are going to work out in this crazy game of college football. For him to be going to his first playoff, because we didn’t make it in ’22… and his first playoff game is in Austin, Texas where he group up, you can’t make that up. Pretty cool opportunity for him and his family to be able to go compete against Texas there in Austin.”

Klubnik’s Westlake bunch came up big in the 2021 state title game, topping Southlake Carroll, 52-34. He completed 18 of 20 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown, also adding 111 yards rushing rushing and a pair of scores.

Ewers went 23-of-39 for 351 yards, with three TDs and pair of interceptions in the defeat, both by current teammate Michael Taaffe. Ewers was also dealing with numerous injuries including a sports hernia and broken ribs which happened in the game’s third drive.

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A few years later with Klubnik once again on the opposite sidelines, it’s a chance for Ewers to write his redemption song. He gets a chance at payback in the state where both quarterbacks thrived, and an opportunity to move on to face Arizona State in the CFB quarterfinals in three weeks.

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