“I’m so proud to be a Longhorn,” is a sentiment the Texas Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers has always maintained. Despite constant fan criticism, and comparisons to Arch Manning, the mammoth Texas QB led the team to a high-flying semi-final. However, a dismal 28-14 Cotton Bowl loss against his former team, the Ohio State Buckeyes, left another gaping hole in Ewers’ CFB career, intensified by the community’s wrath. But thankfully, the tides are changing in his favor, it seems—spearheaded by a move aimed at stabilizing his unsteady draft boat. But before we get to that…

Ewers had a far-from-perfect 2024 season. The first culprit would be the back-to-back injuries that cut his season short, and also left him disorganized and visibly chaotic in a few matches. The second would be the unbridled comparison with Manning ever since he came up with a head-turner performance as Ewers’ substitute against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State. Only two games and the hype train reached an unreal height, with fans vehemently asking to get Manning in the spotlight as soon as possible.

However, moving past all the challenges and debates, Ewers signed off from the Longhorns with a bittersweet taste in his mouth. He is not perfect, but from the expert lens, he’s the ultimate catalyst of the Manning era, as evident from a recent revelation.

In a conversation on ‘That SEC Football Podcast’ aired January 22, Michael Bratton asked ESPN Radio host and industry insider Braden Gall, “Who do you think is the best quarterback in the SEC in 2025? Who’s that first name that pops into your head?”

To this Gall began by saying, “First name, I mean Arch is the first name….He’s on a different level…I mean, the swag on that kid is off the charts. That exists because of the name Manning…All these guys that have gone through that system, they all stayed longer than they were supposed to. Eli, Peyton…and they all were handled with a very professional sort of like…the circle of folks was closed.” However, the conversation soon shifted toward the Texas QB1—in a way that can only be described as pleasant and contrary to what the public opinion has been till now.

Gall believes, ”Quinn Ewers is going to be viewed like I find his legacy to be fascinating, but I think he’s going to be viewed ultimately very positively over time when we look back on him because he’s the transition quarterback and everybody sort of needs this guy.”

”It was Chris Leak for Urban Meyer in Florida getting to Tebow, got a national championship out of the deal,” Gall said making a unique comparison. Leak has always been an unsung talent in Florida’s history. It was no secret that Meyer and Dan Mullen wanted someone more dynamic, more mobile as the QB1. The 2006 college football season was a watershed moment in Chris Leak’s career. Despite facing brutal competition from extraordinary freshman quarterback Tim Tebow, Leak showed unshakable resilience and dominance throughout the season. His later career might be under the shadow of controversy, but he remains a bright spot in Florida history.

Dragging Ewers’ context to it made sense as the QB also garnered a lot of flak and competition but remained a pivotal turning point with a staggering 9,128 yards and 68 passing touchdowns to his name. He is surely the salt in the recipe of the high-flying Longhorns. Notably, Ewers holds the longest active streak of throwing a TD pass as a NCAA quarterback of 26 games and is the first Texas quarterback since Colt McCoy to lead the Longhorns to back-to-back 10-win seasons. Without a doubt, the Texas Longhorns have been elevated, which was evident in the QB’s own words after their Cotton Bowl loss.

“You know no one really at the beginning of the season thought we were gonna be here. Our first year in the SEC, we make it to the SEC title game. That didn’t go our way either, but again, for us to bounce back the way that we did consistently was really cool to see throughout the entire season. I’m beyond proud of all these guys,” the 21-year-old said. Good to see that his efforts are being recognized in the community.Having said that, Gall contained making more relatable comparisons: ”It was [Greg] McElroy getting to AJ McCarron. McElroy was kind of your three-star guy who elevated Alabama with Saban in his first few years; I think Hendon Hooker is that guy who needs to be that guy for Tennessee if they want to be a championship-calibre program going forward. It’s like you need the transition quarterback that gets you from mediocre into Championship-caliber.”