4 dark horse transfer destinations for Quinn Ewers

The No. 3 Texas Longhorns are still very much in the College Football Playoff hunt but questions are lingering over the future of the program at quarterback.

Starter Quinn Ewers has led the team to a 9-1 record but some of that success is due in part to backup Arch Manning.

The freshman passer won two starts and completed a game when Ewers suffered an oblique strain in Week 3 against UTSA.

Manning proved that he is ready to take over the mantle but has had enough class to not jockey for the starting role until Ewers decides he's done in Austin. But when will that be exactly?

4 dark horse transfer destinations for Quinn Ewers if he declines the 2025 NFL Draft

Ewers is a really good quarterback but his draft stock has steadily slipped as the season has gone on, dropping out of the first round in most mock projections.

So, if he decides he wants to be a top pick and earn first-round selection money, where could he go to prove it next season? FanSided has already looked at some big names that could pursue Ewers. Now let's look at the dark horses.

Indiana

The undefeated Hoosiers may have had cushy schedule most of the year but head coach Curt Cignetti has proven he take any quarterback (especially a MAC transfer like Kurtis Rourke) and turn them into a national title contender in the Big Ten.

If there's no national title (or College Football Playoff for that matter) in Indiana's future, Ewers could be the perfect target for Cignetti to get collective revenge on the Buckeyes give Indiana its first first-round pick in 30 years (1994).

Ole Miss

Current starter Jaxson Dart is going to go to the NFL. He's got the skill and, despite likely not being a starter, he'll have a solid career as a backup and could surprise some teams down the road. Head coach Lane Kiffin will need a worthy successor to want to stay in Oxford and try to take down Alabama and Georgia.

Ewers would be coming from a conference opponent and would be familiar with a Nick Saban disciple running the show. Ole Miss usually never has a shortage of talented pass catchers and already being in the College Football Playoff hunt this season will only help recruiting.

Imagine Ewers facing off against Manning in a potential SEC title game next year. Must. See. TV.

Auburn

Sticking with the SEC theme, head coach Hugh Freeze (if he keeps his job) will need surefire talent under center to make sure he doesn't get fired in 2025. Ewers fits that bill and with top recruits coming to town next season, there's an arsenal of weapons for him to utilize in the stacked conference. It would take a little bit of convincing but there's no reason to think Freeze wouldn't take a run at Ewers if he made it known he was foregoing the NFL for another year in college.

Oregon

The Ducks qualify as a dark horse only because you'd think head coach Dan Lanning will have solid talent waiting in the wings to follow up Dillon Gabriel. Ewers would fit right in on campus in Eugene with a coaching staff that likes to let it rip through the air.

Oregon would also offer another opportunity to stick it to Ohio State with a stronger roster than Indiana would offer. If Texas can't reach the national championship this year, there's a significant chance combining Ewers with Lanning's brain and an always talented roster will yield high-quality results.