Texas QB Quinn Ewers continues to receive prominent placement in the 2025 NFL mock drafts, but that high potential first-round status continues to be compromised. Perhaps the biggest shock to Ewers as a draft prospect came Saturday night when Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian traded Ewers for heralded freshman QB Arch Manning.

Ewers faltered early on under intense pressure from the Georgia defense. The timid Ewers had no answers and appeared panicked and overwhelmed, so Sarkisian substituted him for Manning.

The pulling worked, although not in the way expected. Manning also struggled on his two offensive series and Sarkisian turned back to Ewers in the second half.

Ewers looked more confident and confident in this half. He was also better protected by the right side of his line, which performed poorly in the first half. Ewers threw two touchdowns and sparked a short-lived comeback for the top-ranked Longhorns.

“Quinn is our starting quarterback,” Sarkisian said after the game. “I appreciate the fact that we’re fortunate to have a backup like Arch who can come in and provide a spark in some way, but at the end of the day, Quinn is our starter.”

The way Ewers played after returning to the game could save the Texas QB some draft stock dignity. He recovered well and held his own against the most effective defense Georgia had played all season.

Ewers looked like a guy who could have a viable NFL future in the second half. The trick is reconciling this with the disastrous first half and overall disappointing senior season so far. Sitting on the bench could give Ewers the spark he needs to fulfill his considerable potential. However, Ewers’ stock draft is more likely to decline in the coming forecasts.

Related

First impression of the 2025 NFL Draft: Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas

This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: How Quinn Ewers being benched against Georgia will affect his 2025 NFL Draft stock