How Quinn Ewers being benched vs. Georgia impacts his 2025 NFL Draft stock

Texas QB Quinn Ewers continues to get some prominent placement in 2025 NFL mock drafts, but that lofty potential first-round status continues to take hits. Perhaps the biggest jolt to Ewers as a draft prospect came Saturday night, when Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian benched Ewers for celebrated freshman QB Arch Manning.

Ewers wilted under heavy pressure from the Georgia defense early on. A skittish Ewers had no answers and looked panicked and overwhelmed, so Sarkisian benched him for Manning.

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

In that half, Ewers looked more poised and confident. He also got better protection from the right side of his line, which performed inadequately throughout the first half. Ewers threw two touchdowns and provided some short-lived comeback life for the top-ranked Longhorns.

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

The way Ewers played after reentering the game might salvage some draft stock dignity for the Texas QB. He bounced back nicely and held his own against the most effective defense Georgia played all season.

The Ewers in the second half looked like a guy who might have a viable NFL future. Balancing that with the disastrous first half and generally underwhelming senior season to this point is the trick. The benching could provide the spark Ewers needs to reach his considerable potential. But it’s more likely Ewers’ draft stock tumbles in coming projections.