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USA Today
30-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Paul Finebaum shares blunt opinion on former Texas QB1 Quinn Ewers
Paul Finebaum shares blunt opinion on former Texas QB1 Quinn Ewers Did Quinn Ewers impress anyone? Paul Finebaum doesn't think so. ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum did not mince words when discussing former Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers, saying the signal-caller failed to impress during his final season in Austin and predicting the program will see a significant upgrade under new starter Arch Manning. 'The guy that was there last year didn't impress me,' Finebaum said during his show Wednesday. 'He didn't impress anyone' Ewers, who was once one of college football's most high-profile athletes and appeared on the cover of 'EA Sports College Football 25,' completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 3,472 yards, 31 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 14 games last season. However, the Longhorns fell short of a national championship, and Ewers' struggles in big moments — including a costly fumble in the Cotton Bowl loss to Ohio State — drew increased scrutiny. His underwhelming finish led to a slide in the 2025 NFL Draft, where he was selected in the seventh round. Finebaum's guest, Cedric Golden of the Austin American-Statesman, offered high praise for Manning, calling him potentially the best Texas quarterback since Colt McCoy. '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." The transition from Ewers to Manning has fueled debate among fans and analysts, with Finebaum questioning head coach Steve Sarkisian's decision to stick with Ewers during the Cotton Bowl. 'There is nothing finer than Arch Manning starting at Texas. It's long overdue,' Finebaum said on ESPN College Football. As the Arch Manning era begins, comparisons between the two quarterbacks are expected to continue, with the Longhorns and their fans hoping Manning can deliver where Ewers fell short.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Alabama QB Reveals Why Kalen DeBoer's Nine Win Season Was a Success
The 2024 season marked Alabama football's first without head coach Nick Saban in nearly two decades. It was perhaps not a coincidence then that the Crimson Tide failed to win 10 games in a season for the first time since 2007, as Alabama entered something of a transitional phase under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer. However, former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy does not think the Crimson Tide will be down for long. Advertisement "I like what they have coming back, I like the continuity," McElroy said in a new video for ESPN College Football. "I think you might be getting in on the 'underrated' Alabama team going into the season, which is seldom the case for the Crimson Tide." McElroy explained that it was natural for people "on the outside looking in" to view Alabama's first season under DeBoer as a disappointment after the Crimson Tide enjoyed sustained success under Saban. And he further acknowledged that there were low moments for Alabama in 2024, such as the 40-35 upset loss to Vanderbilt, the nationally-televised 24-3 loss to Oklahoma and the ReliaQuest Bowl defeat to Michigan. But victories over Georgia and LSU -- the latter at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge -- showed Alabama's potential under DeBoer. The Crimson Tide return practically their entire starting defense from 2024, and DeBoer is enjoying the quarterback competition between Austin Mack, Keelon Russell and Ty Simpson. When looking at Alabama's schedule, McElroy said he would not be surprised if the Crimson Tide began the season 3-0 before a trip to Athens to face Georgia. But regardless of whether Alabama loses that blockbuster clash at Sanford Stadium, McElroy thinks Alabama will benefit from a "pretty manageable" home schedule, as teams like Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma come to Bryant-Denny Stadium this time around. Advertisement "You look at Bama trying to get to that 10-win plateau again, I like their chances," McElroy said. "But it starts by being undefeated at home, and it also starts by making sure that they play up to their potential on the road, which they did not always do a year ago." Related: Nick Saban Partners With Kalen DeBoer For Heartwarming Cause
