Jeff Saturday & Stephen A. Smith highlight how Arch Manning’s influence made Quinn Ewers declare for 2025 NFL draft

Quinn Ewers is officially leaving Texas after having declared for the NFL draft on Wednesday. With this, the program's future rests squarely on the shoulders of Arch Manning, who was Ewers' famous backup on the sidelines until now.

The nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning was pebble in the shoes of Ewers all season long with Texas' fandom seemingly preferring the untested backup over him in important moments of the season.

According to ESPN's Jeff Saturday and Stephen A. Smith, this constant and gnawing feeling of being unwelcome if he were to return for a final season was likely an important factor in Ewers' decision to leave.

"Yeah I'm surprised, I feel it's probably got a lot to do with the guy who's behind him, you know, being Arch Manning... Kind of what that looks like but yeah I'm a little surprised, I'm surprised he wasn't one more year in school," Saturday said on Wednesday's edition of ESPN's 'First Take'.

"Even if it wasn't at Texas. But, I mean, good luck to him obviously. You wisht the best for all of them. It's just a little bit surprising I guess," he added.

In between Saturday's reaction and before Stephen A. Smith's, Chris Canty made a brief comment pointing out that Ewers may not have had much choice. According to him, Steve Sarkisian potentially made him know he wasn't part of the plans going forward.

To this, Stephen A. Smith shared his take.

"The man knows this is Arch Manning's team. He knows that, like you said, you ain't got to go home but you got to get the hell out of here [about Canty's take]. That's why he entering the NFL draft.

"It's not to say he can't play, it's not to say he can't end up being a good quarterback on the National Football League level," Smith said. "We wish him nothing but the best, but in the same breath, Arch Manning showed up you had people clamoring for Arch Manning even as the Texas Longhorns were making their run to the college football national semifinal.

"And so when you look at it from that standpoint this was inevitable. We get it. I'm not surprised Jeff that he made this decision at all, it's a decision that he had to make. Because transferring to another program at the collegiate level and risking showing up the way you showed up against... Ohio State. I mean clearly, that's not what you want... I'm not surprised by this decision at all," he added.

Quinn Ewers rejected $8 million NIL deal to declare for 2025 NFL draft

According to a source close to 247 Sports, the now-former Texas Longhorns quarterback rejected a humongous NIL deal that would have seen him stay at the collegiate level for a final season. Per the report, an unknown school offered Ewers $8 million for him to transfer in his final year of eligibility.

According to 247 Sports, the deal didn't go through because Ewers wanted to remain in good standing with Texas. His high school coach, Riley Dodge, told 247 Sports this week:

"Texas was the only place he wanted to play college football. He wanted to leave Texas in good standing."

Quinn Ewers is not expected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, although, given the lack of strength at the quarterback position of this class, experts believe he could come out of the Combine looking like the third-best signal-caller of the group, behind Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward.