5 Quinn Ewers transfer destinations that can pay $6 million to win Arch Manning takeover

Quinn Ewers might be the most polarizing quarterback in college football and that conversation is only going to reach more of a fever pitch this offseason. The Texas Longhorns QB1 has led his team to the College Football Playoff semifinals but questions about his decision-making, consistent performance and much more have consistently been called into question.

But when this run in the CFP comes to a close, whether that's with a national championship or not, Ewers' time in Austin is done. Arch Manning made it clear he's not transferring out of Texas and, subsequently, he'll be handed the keys by Steve Sarkisian moving forward. That leaves Ewers with a decision of whether to enter the NFL Draft or enter the transfer portal.

Some college football programs are apparently trying to make sure that the transfer portal is the move for Ewers as there has reportedly already been a $6 million NIL offer already put on the table for the quarterback. There is no shortage of people who think that's asinine but, at the same time, his level of experience and the raw talent remain something that any high-level program could talk themselves into.

Which college football programs should be willing to fork over that kind of dough for Ewers in the 2025 season to land him in the transfer portal? These five teams come to mind.

5. Bill Belichick could make UNC's first splash with Quinn Ewers

Upon being hired by the North Carolina Tar Heels, reports indicated that Bill Belichick gave the university a proverbial wish list for the things he would need to take the job. Among those things was a reported $20 million NIL warchest that he could pull from. It's hard to think of a better way to start using that money in a big way than looking at someone like Quinn Ewers.

In the post-Drake Maye era, UNC was an abject disaster at quarterback this past season. Yes, veteran Max Johnson suffering a season-ending injury in the first game of the season didn't help but, if we're being honest, I wasn't high on that proposition to begin with. Ewers, however, could be a force multiplier for the offense and someone who, in the interest of helping his NFL future, could be highly inclined to play for someone like Belichick.

North Carolina is by far the smallest football program on this list and that could put them behind the eight-ball to some degree in any arms race for Ewers in the transfer portal. At the same time, though, it could also give them nothing to lose and approach landing a talent like the Texas quarterback with reckless abandon in the portal.

4. What if Quinn Ewers went back to Ohio State?

Anyone familiar with Quinn Ewers knows that, once upon a time before he started throwing up the Hook 'Em, he was a mulleted five-star recruit who signed with the Ohio State Buckeyes. The mullet is gone and he transferred to Texas after just one season in the program in Columbus. But with Will Howard now set to exhaust his eligibility for the Buckeyes, is it really that out of the question to think that Ryan Day could turn back to Ewers and see if he'd be interested in returning?

Much like many of the teams and potential transfer destinations here for Ewers, the big question for Ohio State would be what direction Day wants to take the program in at quarterback. Julian Sayin, a former five-star recruit who transferred to Columbus from Alabama last offseason, has plenty of believers in the OSU fanbase, so that could be who gets the keys to Chip Kelly's offense after Howard's departure.

Then again, Ohio State is going to forever be in a championship window with the level of talent they're able to boast. Moreover, after seeing their aggression and spending in the transfer portal this past offseason, Ewers just feels like he would make sense to keep this thing rolling at all systems go. Whether he'd return or not, however, is something worth questioning.

3. Alabama could throw hat in the Quinn Ewers ring with Milroe declaring

There were questions about whether or not Jalen Milroe would return to the Alabama Crimson Tide for the 2025 season or if he would enter the NFL Draft. That decision, however, was made on Thursday as Milroe announced that he's declared for the draft, foregoing his remaining college eligibility.

Some have already speculated that this is all about Kalen DeBoer wanting to get his guy, Austin Mack, in the mix after Mack followed the Alabama head coach to Tuscaloosa from Washington. But at the same time, is there also a chance that the Crimson Tide still want a bridge quarterback before giving the keys to Mack?

Ewers playing with DeBoer could be mutually beneficial for the two parties if Alabama does want a veteran instead of Mack immediately in a post-Milroe world. For the Tide, it would bring in someone who has succeeded at the highest level and could simply benefit from a change of scenery. For Ewers, working with a QB whisperer like DeBoer could greatly improve his future draft stock.

Year two for DeBoer is going to be a lot of pressure on the head coach, especially after failing to get to 10 wins and ending with a brutal Reliaquest Bowl loss to Michigan. Ewers could help raise that floor and, if he takes a leap with a new head coach, perhaps the ceiling for Alabama too.

2. Oregon's next veteran QB with CFP dreams could be Ewers

Dan Lanning's arrival at Oregon has created a steady flow of elite talent into Eugene, which we've obviously seen pay off for the Ducks — even if it hasn't quite gotten them over the national championship hump just yet. But one constant amid their success, especially over the past two seasons, has been having an ultra-experienced quarterback transferring in to lead the offense.

First it was Bo Nix, then it was Dillon Gabriel for the Ducks, both of whom have set nearly untouchable marks for the number of career starts that they've made. But it makes complete sense why Lanning has value that so much and why he could also value Quinn Ewers in the portal. For an offense that is so much about quick reads and timing, having someone with the reps to pick that up quickly is of vital importance.

Oregon is not short on NIL money thanks to the Phil Knight-Nike backing and can pay up for any player they really want or need. Whether or not Ewers is that player could depend on Lanning and Will Stein's confidence level in former five-star Dante Moore but the consideration of bringing the Texas QB to Eugene has to be weighed given the model the Ducks have followed in recent years.

1. Is Quinn Ewers the ideal Carson Beck replacement at Georgia?

Let's start with the obvious by saying that we have no clue what Gunner Stockton is going to look like at the helm of the Georgia Bulldogs offense. If the former highly recruited quarterback steps in for his first-ever start on the College Football Playoff stage and gives the Dawgs even a shot at a national championship, I'd have a hard time imagining Kirby Smart wanting to be overly aggressive in the transfer portal for someone like Ewers.

However, just based on the situation, I also can't rule out the fact that Stockton won't be that for Georgia, which raises real questions about quarterback moving forward with the program. Stockton would be a question mark, former five-star Jaden Rashada and current freshman Ryan Puglisi also fit that bill as well. And Georgia is a program in its current iteration that probably can't afford to have a gap year at the most important position on the field.

Ewers could come in and run a quite similar offense to the one we saw with Beck but with more arm talent and experience in his holster. That could be something that keeps the Dawgs rolling on a national title trajectory. More importantly, it's not too often that, if Georgia wants a guy, they aren't able to get him in the building. If Ewers is looking for another year of college football, the Bulldogs would be about as good of a match as you could find.