Paul Finebaum Disses Former Texas Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers

Paul Finebaum believes the Texas Longhorns will see a major upgrade under center this season.

SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum looks on prior to the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Missouri Tigers. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The Arch Manning era is in full swing for the Texas Longhorns, but the proceedeing era is proving difficult to fully move past.

For as much attention as Manning draws, Quinn Ewers is not far behind him in that regard. He was one of the first college athletes to sign a seven-figure NIL deal, he appeared on the cover of "EA Sports College Football 25," and had plenty more escapades on and off the field.

As such, he became a magnet for criticism throughout his less-than-stellar final season in Austin. In 14 games, Ewers completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 3,472 yards, 31 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, though he struggled in the Longhorns' biggest games. While he missed only two games due to injury, it was clear that he wasn't at 100 percent for most of the year.

Former Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers passes during the Texas' Pro Day at the Texas Football Training Facility. | Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

That underwhelming final season led to him falling to the seventh and final round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and by extension, increased media criticism. In one of the latest examples of said media criticism, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum took aim at Ewers during his show on Wednesday.

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

On the other hand, Cedric Golden of the Austin-American Statesman, Finebaum's guest during this segment, believes that Manning could be the next great Longhorns' quarterback, the one to lead them back to the promised land.

“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.”

Whether or not Ewers held the Longhorns back last season is up for debate, and it will only continue as Manning establishes himself as the starter. No matter what, though, the two quarterbacks will always be compared throughout their careers.