Quinn Ewers' haircut, explained: Texas QB shares why he shaved mullet for 2023 season

Editor's note: This story originally published ahead of Texas' Week 2 game vs. Alabama.

For better or worse, Quinn Ewers' persona has for some time been synonymous with his long, blond mullet. It followed him throughout his high school career — where he was the No. 1-ranked player in the country — Ohio State and, for 2022 at least, Texas.

But fans hoping to see the distinct look during the Longhorns' 2023 college football season will be disappointed to see the second-year quarterback has traded in his mullet: He shaved his locks for a buzzcut, part of an overall transformation for Ewers.

Here's a look at the new do from Texas' Week 1 victory over Rice:

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Which begs the question: Why exactly did Ewers decide to cut his hair? Here's a breakdown of the Texas quarterback's thoughts on the new haircut:

Quinn Ewers new haircut, explained

Ewers, speaking to The Athletic for a story that published in July, offered a simple explanation for his decision to cut his hair and ditch the mullet:

“I was ready for it to go,” Ewers said. “I was tired of it. It was just a lot to keep up with, and it was time to grow up.”

For his part, Ewers also seemed annoyed about questions from his hair, saying in late August it was "too hot" for long hair. In an offseason where he focused on maturing to take the next step at QB, cutting his hair was merely part of the transformation. The Texas quarterback also went from 218 to 200 pounds during the offseason, focusing on improving his eating habits and cutting fast food, per The Athletic.

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Ewers was up and down in his first season as a starter in 2022, flashing his talents against Alabama before exiting due to injury and missing the next three games. He finished the season with 2,177 passing yards and 16 total touchdowns while completing 58.1 percent of his attempts. The offseason was a chance for Ewers to leave the past behind and focus on improving ahead of his redshirt sophomore season.

“I probably haven’t been this light since my sophomore year of high school,” he said. “I lost some bad weight and gained some good weight back. I really focused on my eating habits; getting in the playbook more; I want to be comfortable, on and off the field, if that makes sense, physically and mentally.”

In his first game with the new look, Ewers completed 19 of 30 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in the Longhorns’ 37-10 win over Rice in their season opener.

“His whole demeanor changed after he cut that mullet,” Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders told reporters of Ewers' haircut (via Sports Illustrated). “I don’t know what it was about that mullet. Whatever he did after cutting that mullet, it’s like a whole new person. He went from a kid to an adult, and it shows.”

Of course, that doesn't mean Ewers was able to completely leave his mullet behind, as evidenced by this sign on "College GameDay" ahead of Texas' Week 2 meeting vs. Alabama:

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why did Quinn Ewers cut his hair? Explaining Texas QB's decision