Texas football and its 2024 campaign witnessed one of the more watched quarterback battles. Quinn Ewers and top freshman Arch Manning exchanged snaps. Ewers ultimately finished out as QB1, and now there's rumblings he wants to bypass the NFL Draft and return.

However, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. believes Ewers should go elsewhere before he makes it to the league. He bluntly said Ewers should leave Austin, but enter the transfer portal instead.

“Arch Manning is going to be the quarterback at Texas next year. So if you want to play college football, you probably have to move on somewhere,” Kiper told the First Draft podcast with Mike Greenberg and Field Yates. “I would do that if I'm Quinn Ewers.”

Ewers will likely be in hot demand if he were to pivot to the portal. He'll return for his senior season. Plus Ewers can enter with one more eligibility season left.

He only saw one game at his first stop Ohio State in 2021. He's played in 33 total games for the Longhorns.

Mel Kiper Jr. handed Quinn Ewers advice 

Texas football quarterbacks Arch Manning (16), left, and Quinn Ewers (3) throw passes while warming up ahead of the Longhorns' spring Orange and White game at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
© Sara Diggins/Imagn Images via American-Statesman
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Ewers is preparing for No. 16 Clemson on Saturday to open the first 12-team College Football Playoffs. The weekend contest brings Ewers back to Darnell K. Royal Stadium one more time.

The 21-year-old entered the 2024 season hearing constant NFL Draft hype. That included thoughts of a possible first round selection. However, Ewers dealt with inconsistency and, momentarily, Manning claiming his spot.

Ewers again redeemed himself after his brief benching against Georgia. He came back to throw eight combined touchdowns the next two games against Vanderbilt and Florida. But, Georgia picked him off twice in the 22-19 Southeastern Conference title game loss. That outing reignited the Manning QB1 chatter. Kiper sent some advice over to Ewers, as he continued to decide his 2025 fate.

“I would not come out unless I really played phenomenal football in these playoff games and came into this draft process with tremendous momentum,” Kiper said. “I don’t want to become a second or third round pick.”

Ewers is yet to share publicly what his intentions are for next season. Texas is going for the program's fifth national title. However, the Longhorns haven't won the national championship since 2005.