Quinn Ewers could be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft next season but he has one thing to overcome. It’s not arm talent or a lack of processing speed and it’s not sometimes pushing the ball into spots he shouldn’t or not checking down quick enough. It’s Arch Manning.
Sounds dumb right? But mental toughness is crucial for a QB1 in college football and moreso in the NFL. And Ewers could end up getting the Spencer Rattler treatment if he’s not careful.
We all know the story of Spencer Rattler. A 5 star recruit out of high school who starred early for Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma until another elite recruit came along. That recruit was Caleb Williams and the rest is history. Rattler was “rattled” by the mere presence of Williams as a threat to his starting job. And as his lack of mental toughness began to show and he struggled, fans began calling for Williams to play. It started on social media but quickly progressed to chants in the stands. Rattler lost his edge the moment he believed Williams could take his job. He eventually lost that starting job at Oklahoma after being projected to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, transferred to South Carolina where he was solid but not spectacular and landed in round five a week ago when finally drafted by the New Orleans Saints. People can talk about that high school documentary where he looked like an arrogant jerk and all but the real reason Rattler when from No. 1 to a mid round afterthought was Williams.
So here we are heading into 2024. If we parallel the Rattler-Williams story you’d think last season was the one to worry about for Ewers. After all, Manning was a freshman last season as Williams was and a nationally hyped (overrated) talent. But it was made clear to everyone and by the Mannings that they didn’t want Arch to play much. He was third string, he was saving a redshirt and he was zero threat to Ewers. That’s not the case this year.
If Ewers struggles — for a quarter, for a game or for a stretch of games as Rattler did — the talks will come. The chants might be heard. You’d think that wouldn’t be the case for a storied program coming off a playoff season, but Oklahoma was coming off a 9-2 season in 2020 and had high expectations for 2021. The higher the expectations the less patience a fan base has. And following the hype surrounding Manning’s spring game, you can bet any struggle for Ewers will be met with “Arch” chants.
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Hello endzone@ArchManning ➡️ @DeandreMooreJr pic.twitter.com/wSMLKzuVXz
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 20, 2024
So this is a huge year for Ewers for obvious reasons. He could go on to NFL riches and potential No. 1 status in a bad QB draft year or he could find himself in the mid rounds or even looking for a new home like Rattler.
What do you need to improve on? That’s the question scouts like to ask. But with Ewers it’s not improve on its endure. If he can stay healthy, have a great season and endure the looming figure of a Manning then he could be a superstar. Maybe he should call Rattler from some advice.
