4 Quinn Ewers transfer destinations for 2025 as Texas surely turns to Arch Manning

Quinn Ewers had so much hype coming into the 2024 season. He led the Texas Longhorns to the College Football Playoff last season, winning a conference championship and putting the curtain call on their era in the Big 12. 

This season, the Longhorns’ debut in the SEC, Ewers was tasked with storming through the conference as the newbies and leading Texas to a national championship. And while Texas is 9-1, its only loss to Georgia, the hype around Ewers isn’t nearly as loud as it was this summer. 

It didn’t help that when Ewers got hurt, his incumbent Arch Manning not only kept the team afloat but stirred up unnecessary quarterback controversy in the process. It put a damper on what Ewers’ legacy will be in Austin. 

And now that he’s not playing as well as people expected, it looks like this will be his final season in Austin. It very much feels like either he’s leaving or Manning is — and all signs are pointing to Ewers being an outsider now. 

So, as rumors swirl around Ewers' future as the NFL Draft seems more of a distant hope than a certain decision, let's take a look at where Ewers could end up if he opts to hit the transfer portal. 

4 transfer destinations Quinn Ewers could end up at if he darts out of Austin after this season

4) Ohio State Buckeyes

This seems a little too obvious, but is very much a possibility. Ewers’ college football career started at Ohio State but he left Columbus for the south as he was ready to play now and not ride the bench. 

A reunion with the quarterback whisperer in Ryan Day could be in the works. Will Howard is in his final season of eligibility and honestly hasn’t had quite the impact OSU would have hoped. Sure, the Buckeyes’ only loss is to Oregon, but that’s less about what Howard is doing to help them win. 

It’s more about the weapons around him that’s allowed him to succeed. If Ewers hits the transfer portal, this seems like a likely outcome. 

For one, Ewers is already familiar with Day and the Ohio State offense. They’ve tapped into the transfer portal in recent years to fill the quarterback position so it’s likely they do the same this offseason. If Chip Kelly is still around after this year, I think he’d work well with Ewers and find ways to keep the offense simple yet explosive. 

Ohio State will have some major holes with depth, losing wide receivers and running backs, but with Jeremiah Smith set to return for his sophomore season, Ewers has at least one target he can rely on. 

The fit would be ideal, Day like what he saw in Ewers once upon a time and now he’s a more polished version than he was coming out of high school. The only concern would be since he’s tapered off lately, have we seen the best of Ewers already. 

He would have to come in and make an instant impact. He can’t come in and not immediately improve this offense, especially with many pieces leaving after 2024. 

3) USC Trojans

Lincoln Riley needs to make some big moves if he wants to be coaching past the 2025 season, assuming he isn’t canned after this season concludes. The Trojans have had an underwhelming debut in the Big Ten this season. They need to play catch up. 

With Ewers, they’re in a much better situation than they’re currently in. And this feels very much like a move Riley would make to make up some ground. The only problem with this is Ewers isn’t quite the style quarterback that’s had success under Riley. 

During his time at Oklahoma, he had Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler. Every one of those quarterbacks are mobile. Ewers is more of a pocket passer. So it may be a big move, but it might be the match it is on paper. 

Nonetheless, the quarterback problem was one of the biggest issues Riley and the Trojans faced this year. Whether it’s Dylan Raiola if he opts to leave or Ewers or any other young prospect that hits the portal, Riley knows he has to make a big splash. 

2) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

This is an intriguing move for Ewers. Head coach Marcus Freeman has some young options to turn to after Riley Leonard leaves following this year, but for some of the same reasons, he’s a very different quarterback than Leonard. 

I think it could ultimately be a good fit. It would be a solid replacement for a season, but can he truly develop into an NFL-caliber quarterback there remains the biggest question. The Notre Dame job was his first head coaching job. He’s done well in keeping the Fighting Irish relevant. 

But he hasn’t taken a quarterback and turned them into an NFL prospect. Ian Book was drafted and Sam Hartmann was drafted to the UFL and signed with the Washington Commanders, but he hasn’t had one make that impact or been given a chance in the NFL. 

I don’t think Leonard will be one either. Ewers could be one and has a chance to revive his career if he opts to hit the transfer portal. But as we saw this season, he’s going to need further development. Freeman could have his first marquee NFL quarterback prospect in Ewers.  

1) Alabama Crimson Tide

Jalen Milroe will probably be headed to the NFL as he’s projected as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 class. He’ll most likely be the third quarterback taken after Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. Doing so will open up a gap for a new signal caller in Tuscaloosa. 

The Crimson Tide have some young players behind Milroe in Ty Simpson, Dylan Lonergan and Austin Mack. But if Kalen DeBoer isn’t interested in starting a young gun right now, Ewers could be a temporary solution to give those young guys another year of development. 

Ewers has a very different play style than Milroe. And while the last few quarterbacks have been mobile at Alabama, they also had Mac Jones and AJ McCarron at one point too, who were predominantly pocket passers. 

And the weapons the Crimson Tide are bringing back next year, with Ewers as a quarterback, they’d undoubtedly be in a great position. DeBoer was able to develop Michael Penix, Jr. into a top 10 pick in last year’s draft. 

He can do the same with Ewers and it could be the biggest regret Texas has if he goes on to not only beat them, but win a title in the process.