It is on the board that the next time Quinn Ewers steps on a college football gridiron could be his last. As hyperbolic as it may seem, it’s a very tangible outcome. In the immediate, Steve Sarkisian is preparing the Ewers-led Texas offense for the Peach Bowl against ASU. Pull back to peep over the proverbial horizon, and the future of this offense has a different quarterback under center. This raises a question etched in a rather morbid reality.

What’s next for Quinn Ewers? That straightforward question has a very convoluted answer which he may want to avoid pondering over himself. He is. Ewers has outwardly stated that he’s not pondering over his future. That he’s focused on traversing the CFP and potentially getting to the Natty. Even if he wanted to discern what lies ahead, an Arch Manning-shaped cloud renders his prospects inconspicuous. Sarkisian has suggested that the Longhorns’ plan ahead involves Arch. It’s almost a foregone conclusion that Ewers will leave Texas to make way for his deputy. But where remains a mystery? A national scout’s assessment would suggest it’s not the NFL.

Cody Bellaire, over on the On3 YouTube channel, dissected Quinn Ewers’ 2024 season. He leveraged his insight on why Ewers’ draft stock is not particularly high. “The thing that I think has shown Quinn Ewers’ limitations this year is the processing, right? Some mistakes. He’s got moments where he’s late on a read, or he doesn’t go through the progression efficiently.” said Bellaire. This is somewhat abstract and something only a scout would deduce. However, Bellaire proceeded to point at a very tangible, physical regression.

“I think Quinn Ewers has lost weight once he got into college.” remarked Bellaire, emphasizing how kids coming over from high school usually go the other way. “There’s a lot of concern from the NFL side. Some guys that I talked to say, ‘Hey, man. I don’t know if this guy’s physically capable of standing in there and taking shots at the next level.” said Bellaire.

There’s a correlation between pass rushers becoming more adept at getting to the quarterback, and their health. In recent seasons, injuries to players such as Tua Tagovailoa have raised the antennas around the league. Quinn Ewers has had trouble with injuries throughout his Texas stint. So it is reasonable that GMs might be averse to putting their franchises on his back. Unfortunately, an immediate NFL starting berth is not looking like it’s in Ewers’ future if he opts into the draft. That increases the chances of a different route out of Austin.

A different Natty contender is interested in onboarding Quinn Ewers

The transfer portal is a bit of a “get out of jail free” card now. It affords do-overs and second opportunities. This could be exactly what Quinn Ewers needs. Speaking about him in the context of the NFL can shine a negative light on him. But let’s not forget, that he’s still better than about 90% of his peers on the college level. With one year of eligibility left, Ewers can be an excellent stop-gap solution for a contending team. One such program has already made their interest known.

According to CFB reporter Trey Wallace, Notre Dame is weighing up a move for Ewers. Their current QB1 Riley Leonard has served them well, and continues to do so in the playoffs. However, Leonard is out of eligibility at the end of this season. Marcus Freeman could do a lot worse than trade one quality, experienced vet for another.

At the beginning of this season, Quinn Ewers had multiple options to pick from for leading the trajectory of his career. An injury-riddled and overall dissatisfactory season later, a few doors have perhaps closed. It remains to be seen what he decides to do. It’s very unlikely, but we could even have clarity as soon as the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day concludes, in case Texas is on the wrong side of a result.