The No. 1 Oregon Ducks have been led by transfer quarterbacks over the past four seasons, including Dillon Gabriel, Bo Nix, and Anthony Brown. With Gabriel set to test the NFL waters, could another transfer quarterback be headed to Eugene to lead the Ducks in 2025?
A report suggests Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers is considering returning to college football instead of entering the NFL, as “many NFL scouts reportedly believe Ewers could ‘benefit’ from another year in college.” According to the ‘NFL Rookie Watch’ social media account, Ewers might enter the transfer portal and join a top-10 team, with Texas preparing to hand the reins to quarterback Arch Manning in 2025.
Ewers still has one year of college eligibility left.
However, before Ducks fans start speculating about Ewers transferring to Oregon, Luke McMurtrey, an NFL agent with Sportstars, responded by dismissing the report, calling it “FAKE NEWS” and attributing it to Ewers’ team.
Though a transfer to Oregon seems unlikely and the report may be inaccurate, the Ducks have a strong history in the transfer portal. Coach Dan Lanning has excelled in bringing in top talent, such as Gabriel, Nix, wide receivers Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart, defensive linemen Jordan Burch and Derrick Harmon, and defensive back Jabbar Muhammad, among others.
Oregon already has UCLA transfer Dante Moore on the roster, who could potentially take over for Gabriel. Moore, a former five-star recruit, played as a freshman at UCLA but struggled with turnovers. Coming to Oregon has allowed him to learn from Gabriel and offensive coordinator Will Stein. Moore completed all seven of his pass attempts in four games as a Duck this season.
Oregon’s quarterback room also includes Austin Novosad, Luke Moga, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, and Akili Smith Jr., meaning that adding another transfer quarterback may not be a top priority for Lanning.
There is still a possibility that Oregon and Texas could meet in the College Football Playoff. If both teams win their respective matchups, a potential Cotton Bowl clash on January 10 could take place.
Texas, the No. 5 seed in the College Football Playoff, will face ACC champion Clemson on December 21, while No. 1 Oregon will play in the Rose Bowl on January 1 against the winner of Ohio State vs. Tennessee.
Ewers has had an impressive 2024 season with Texas, completing 233 of 352 passes (66.2%) for 2,665 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions.
Another report from Rivals indicates that Ewers intends to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft, clearing the way for Manning, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 freshman class, to take over at Texas.
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