With Arch Manning on deck, Mel Kiper suggests Quinn Ewers transfer if draft grade remains same

Ahead of Texas‘ second-straight College Football Playoff appearance, speculation has raged over the future of Longhorns starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, as well as his pending draft grade.

With much-ballyhooed backup Arch Manning waiting in the wings the past two seasons, the overwhelming expectation was Ewers would enter the 2025 NFL Draft after this season, paving the way for the former No. 1 overall recruit to take over the reins in Austin. But, recently, online rumors suggested Ewers was considering returning to college, potentially creating a complicated situation at Texas.

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And Ewers didn’t do much to quell that conjecture when he addressed his future ahead of Saturday’s first round College Football Playoff game against No. 12-seed Clemson (4 pm ET, ABC/ESPN).

“I’m not sure yet, I’m just trying to win these games,” Quinn Ewers told reporters. “I haven’t thought about anything beyond that.”

Well, if he’s taking advice, ESPN’s longtime NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. suggested Ewers not only return to college but transfer to a new program.

“Arch Manning is going to be the quarterback at Texas next year. So if you want to play college football, you probably have to move on somewhere. I would do that if I’m Quinn Ewers,” Kiper said on Thursday’s First Draft podcast with Mike Greenberg and Field Yates. “I would not come out unless I really played phenomenal football in these playoff games and came into this draft process with tremendous momentum. I don’t want to become a second- or third-round pick.”

In last week’s 2025 NFL Draft Big Board, Kiper ranked Ewers as the No. 6 quarterback in the 2025 class, behind projected first-round picks Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), Cam Ward (Miami) and Jalen Milroe (Alabama). Kiper also ranked Penn State‘s Drew Allar — who recently informed PSU coaches he was returning for his senior season — and Georgia‘s Carson Beck ahead of Ewers, meaning a second- or third-round draft grade is highly possible for the Longhorns quarterback.

Dan Orlovsky reveals how Texas should use Arch Manning in CFP

ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky sounded off on Texas’ plans at quarterback while on Thursday’s Get Up.

“I do not think that they can win the whole thing unless Arch Manning plays a decent amount at quarterback,” Orlovsky stated.

Orlovsky specifically mentioned Manning as Texas’ red zone option considering his efficiency as a passer and runner. However, if Ewers struggles, he could just become their QB1.

“That’s where I think he has to play. I really believe Texas, in that (red zone) situation, has to take Quinn Ewers out of the game and put Arch Manning in the game,” Orlovsky continued. “I think the plan has to be Arch Manning goes into the football game when Texas gets down towards that or in that red zone area. It has to be 11-on-11 football because the passing game, down there, it hasn’t been as precise as it needs to be. …

“If Quinn continues to struggle? At some point, you’ve got to go have the Nick Saban cohones to go make the move.”