College football rankings: 4 teams that would be a Playoff lock with Quinn Ewers in 2025

You know in the TV show Let's Make A Deal when people decide whether they want something they can see, or take a risk and take whatever is behind a closed door?

Well, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is basically playing a round of Let's Make a Deal regarding his future right now. He could stay at Texas where he'd potentially become a backup to Arch Manning. He could enter the NFL Draft, where he'd likely be a second (or maybe even third) round pick — or he could transfer to a different college team and try to raise his draft stock back up in 2026.

Choosing that last option is basically picking the door; it could be something great, and Ewers could remind everyone why he was a preseason Heisman favorite and potential top-five pick in the draft. It could also go terribly, and Ewers draft stock could fall even more if he underperforms.

But if transferring is Ewers' final decision, there are plenty of programs that would love to procure his quarterbacking services. Here are four options that Ewers would instantly boost into — or back into — College Football Playoff contention in 2025.

Oregon Ducks

Dillon Gabriel has hung around Heisman discussions all season as the Ducks quarterback has been everything Dan Lanning could have hoped for in a transfer. But with Gabriel departing for the NFL next season, the Ducks will have a hole at quarterback that Ewers could fill instantly. The success of Gabriel this year shows that Lanning can acclimate a transfer quarterback into his system pretty easily, and Ewers could be the next example of that.

Dante Moore is set to start for the Ducks in 2025, but the former 5-star recruit didn't impress much in his freshman season at UCLA before transferring to UO. Moore is highly talented, but Ewers' experience and reliability would give him a pretty clear advantage for the starting job.

If Ewers is worried about weapons in Eugene, all he needs to do is watch the highlight tape of Dakorien Moore, the 5-star wide receiver who will be donning a Ducks jersey next season. Moore chose Oregon over Georgia, Ohio State and Alabama among (many) others, and the top non-quarterback recruit in the Class of 2025 could make an instant impact with Ewers under center.

Texas A&M Aggies

This might not be the SEC team you expected to see on this list, but it makes sense if you think about it. Think about it... makes sense, right?

Marcel Reed is a good quarterback. In a few years, he might even be a great quarterback. But bringing in Ewers for a year and having Reed as a change-of-pace option who can make things happen with his legs could be a recipe for success for Mike Elko.

The Aggies are now 8-3 after a hectic 4OT loss to Auburn on Saturday, likely smashing their CFP hopes for this season. But with Ewers inserted into the lineup, 2025 could be a different story.

USC Trojans

Okay, USC being one position away from a Playoff "lock" seems a bit far-fetched. The Trojans are 6-5 after beating UCLA on Saturday — to be fair, a lot of those losses could have easily been wins with a few more lucky bounces — and are in a different world than real CFP contenders.

But a top-level quarterback changes everything, and even with 2025 4-star quarterback Husan Longstreet recently flipping his commitment to the Trojans, coach Lincoln Riley would probably prefer the steady hand of Ewers while Longstreet gets used to the system and then takes over the offense in his sophomore year.

Georgia Bulldogs

If Ewers wants to stay in the SEC, plenty of teams would love his experience, and Georgia might be at the top of that list.

The Bulldogs are CFP contenders pretty much every year just because, well, they're Georgia, but there isn't a clear quarterback replacement for Carson Beck after the senior graduates. Ryan Montgomery is a 4-star recruit who will head to UGA next season, while Ryan Puglisi and Gunner Stockton also on the roster and gunning (pun intended) for the starting job next year.

High-level programs like Georgia will always have talent at quarterback, and Ewers would be in a battle, but would probably bring the Bulldogs their best chance at a CFP run next year.