Paul Finebaum takes shot at Quinn Ewers while projecting Arch Manning success

As Texas ushers in the Arch Manning era, some of the criticism for Quinn Ewers continues from ESPN’s Paul Finebaum. During his show on Wednesday, there was discussion surrounding Manning and how he could be the program’s next great quarterback. A popular opinion right now as the third-year player is receiving a ton of hype.

In the midst of the conversation, Finebaum pointed out how he was not too impressed with Ewers during the 2024 season. Despite Texas having a ton of team success, Ewers did not receive a thumbs-up from Finebaum.

“The guy that was there last year didn’t impress me,” Finebaum said. “He didn’t impress anyone.”

Ewers wound up playing in 14 games, missing two due to an injury. His total stats lined up as 3,472 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Texas went to the SEC Championship game before losing to Georgia but still earned a bid to a second consecutive College Football Playoff. A tough loss to Ohio State in the semifinals knocked the Longhorns short of their national championship goals.

Many point to a slide in the 2025 NFL Draft when arguing Finebaum’s point. Miami did not take him until the seventh round, way later than originally projected. Ewers was not viewed as a first-round pick, but a late Day 2 or early Day 3 selection was possible.

Finebaum was joined by Cedric Golden of the Austin American-Statesman during this topic, where the topic was originally Manning. High praise for the new starter came from Golden, projecting where he could wind up among the greatest to ever play quarterback at Texas.

“I think he’s going to be the best quarterback at Texas since Colt McCoy,” Golden said. “And Colt McCoy had a hell of a career at Texas, those numbers don’t lie. So, I do think he’s the next great quarterback at Texas after VY (Vince Young) and Colt.”

Fair or not, Ewers and Manning will be compared to each other throughout their respective careers. Especially as Manning gets his college playing days underway before eventually making way into the NFL, whenever that may be.

Steve Sarkisian held one of the great quarterback rooms in college football last season and decided to roll with Ewers. Manning was used in certain packages but there was certainly an outcry to get him into the game more often, if not permanently. Based on Wednesday’s comments, we know where Finebaum sits.