“I don’t think I played as well as I needed to play for the standard,” Quinn Ewers shared with reporters at the Texas football team’s weekly media availability. As of now, the Texas Longhorns are the No. 1 ranked team in college football. With back-to-back six victories, head coach Steve Sarkisian is on the right path and closer to the national title. Quarterback Quinn Ewers had to miss two games because of his injury. Even after missing some games and some recent challenges, he has all the attention, and his name is prominent among top draft prospects.

Ewers suffered an oblique strain during the Longhorns’ 56-7 victory over UTSA in the third week. Unfortunately, he had to miss two games, and Sarkisian handled the responsibility to his rising talent, Arch Manning. Manning displayed some impressive games against UL Monroe and Mississippi State. Ewers returned last Saturday when his team needed him the most in their Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma. While many media outlets believe that Ewers deserves a spot in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft. ESPN thinks differently. In a surprising turn of events, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers has been left out of ESPN’s first-round mock draft for the 2025 NFL Draft.

ESPN has shifted their focus to other Longhorns players. Cameron Williams, Kelvin Banks, and Isaiah Bond are projected to be in the three first-round picks. Blake Munroe, who covers college football for Texas, tweeted, “ESPN’s latest #NFL mock draft now has #Texas OL Cameron Williams going in the first round.” and “No QB Quinn Ewers, however. #HookEm” Offensive lineman Cameron Williams is known for his long arms, excellent grip strength, and solid athletics he brings. His running is his USP. He utilizes his size and long hands to defend and block. Coming to pass protection, Williams presents a challenge for opponents. Again, his size easily helps him stop defenders. Although he is 380 pounds, his body movements are again his plus point. 

Longhorns fans want to see Ewers in the first draft; however, his health remains a big concern. He has missed three straight games this season, and because of his inconsistency, NFL teams might hesitate to take him in their teams. Ewers has returned to the field, but now he has to improve himself in upcoming games to solidify his position as a top pick. Till then, let’s take a look at his performance from last Saturday.

Ewers Reflects on his comeback: areas for improvement

Arch Manning got the golden opportunity after Quinn Ewers left their field on 14th September. Initially, he displayed some phenomenal plays; everyone from experts to football analysts was praising him. However, his performance against Mississippi State raised questions. At the same time, Ewers was making progress with strained oblique.

This made head coach Steve Sarkisian decide that the Ewers would play against their rival Oklahoma. After missing two games, the quarterback bounced back and threw a 7-yard touchdown to tight end Gunnar Helm and added a 1-yard rushing touchdown. Although his pass in 28 days was intercepted, he also missed a few throws. Overall, he completed 20 out of 29 passes for a total of 199 yards.

Ewers participated in his first individual media session in weeks and expressed what he did not like about his performance: “I think that just my speed with my feet and my confidence in my throws throughout practice should have been better, which would have carried over to the game. I think I just should have practiced a little bit better.” Texas is currently undefeated, but the intensity of the season is ramping up week by week. This coming Saturday, they will face the Georgia Bulldogs, coached by Kirby Smart, who have only lost one game this season. Let us know where your vote lies.