Woah! Texas Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers is now in a big dilemma. We all know how this season has been a rough patch for the QB. There were many times that he got into trouble and tagged along HC Steve Sarkisian into the big Quinn Ewers vs. Arch Manning debate. But it’s good to see how even after a tumultuous season, Ewers still emerges as a transfer portal favorite.

That brings an end to the NFL chapter discussion surrounding his swapping to the NFL. Looks like the analysts, too, stand in for Ewers’ decision to give himself a second chance in college football. 

What’s the better path for Quinn Ewers?

After Texas squeaked past Arizona State in the Peach Bowl, they now have the Cotton Bowl scheduled for January 10. But looks like Sarkisian won’t be taking much risk with Ewers. After all, the QB has sunk too deep because of his offensive struggles. The Georgia loss definitely haunts the Longhorns HC, as Ewers completed 27/46 passes and threw two picks while making some poor decisions, especially an interception late in the 4th quarter. So what, he has lost all his luster in Texas? Ewers reportedly received a $6 million offer to enter the NCAA transfer portal. On that note, analyst Mel Kiper Jr. on the ESPN First Draft commented on how the QB should make use of his age.

The analyst suggested, “I think people have to realize how young he still is. He doesn’t turn 22, Quinn Ewers, until March 15th. He’s 21 right now. Now people look like he’s 24. Take as much time as you’re allowed to have in college. Go and get more reps.”

Kiper Jr. even placed himself in Ewers’ shoes. “If I’m Quinn Ewers, I’m not going to be the fifth quarterback coming off the board. I understand next year things will change or whatever, but he’s going to get better,” commented the analyst. Now that Ewers is projected as the first pick in the fifth round and to land with the Carolina Panthers, that’s why the statement came. 

Another analyst, Field Yates, walked on the same path. He laid out the scenario where Ewers is right now, “My view of Quinn Ewers right now is not a first-round pick. I’m not sure if he’s a second-round pick.” So, in that case, it’s better for the Longhorns QB not to go for the NFL.

As Yates claimed,  “If you’re a player who might be on the fringe of being a second or third-round pick and there’s an opportunity to play for a handful of million dollars for an extra year of college football, which that’s what the landscape is for the highest profile quarterbacks.” But pressure mounts as Ewers got snubbed in college football, too. 

A sage advice for Quinn Ewers

As the question ‘to enter or not to enter the draft’ loomed in Ewers’ mind, the Longhorns QB had already been linked to a college football program with the CFP tag. That’s none other than Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. That’s because the program is focused on the “here and now” of winning in 2024. For the next season, too, they want to remain a legitimate national contender. But maybe they are still unsure about Ewers’ stability.

That’s when a college football insider dropped some big news. “I asked my college football source and they said Notre Dame thought that that was too rich for them. $6 million for Quinn Ewers,” shared Dan Patrick on his podcast. The Fighting Irish run an independent program that is free from any conference. So, they might not be ready to take the risk with Ewers. Knowing this, if the QB thinks he has lost all hope, a legend knows how to lift his spirits.

On his Nightcap podcast, analyst Shannon Sharpe advised Quinn Ewers to make a return to college football. To convince him further, Sharpe took the example of how Joe Burrow’s move to return to college football paid off well. “He (Ewers) might come back and get better because nobody saw that if you had asked teams that were gonna look at Joe Burrow before he came back for his senior year, Joe Burrow didn’t seem special, but he came back for that year and he was special,” said the analyst. Swapping from Ohio State to LSU, Burrow bagged the Heisman Trophy in 2020. What if Quinn Ewers, too, has something like this in store for him?