One of the coolest things about basketball’s NCAA Tournament is that it gives players an opportunity to seize a national stage and make a name for themselves, almost overnight. And though the College Football Playoff reminds absolutely no one of March Madness, the situation does present a similar opportunity for prospects eyeing the NFL Draft — specifically at the quarterback position.

Earlier this week, Penn State QB Drew Allar told reporters he plans to return for his senior year. As is the case with most things in college football these days, though, nothing about that revelation is set in stone. Texas QB Quinn Ewers, meanwhile, finds himself back at the decision table with Arch Manning on his heels.

Allar connected on 13 of 22 passes for 127 yards Saturday in Penn State’s rout of SMU, while Ewers finished 17-of-24 for 202 yards, a touchdown and an interception as Texas held off a Clemson comeback attempt.

Let’s unpack where those quarterbacks are with regard to the 2025 NFL Draft class, especially in light of Saturday’s Playoff performances.

You can watch nine consecutive dropbacks from Allar and be completely convinced he’s not ready for the NFL. Then, on the 10th, he’ll pull a Josh Allen impression and you’ll be back to the start. Very little about the 20-year-old quarterback’s process is consistent or ideal.

During the first few Penn State possessions Saturday versus SMU, Allar’s feet often moved way too fast in his drop. That issue left him ready to throw before receivers were able to break open, resulting in awkward scrambles and checkdowns.

There also were still far too many cases in which Allar got stuck on reads and responded with those happy feet. When he starts bouncing around in the pocket, he often drops his eyes or rushes a throw before his feet are back under him. Allar has a bad habit of fading on relatively basic drops, too, especially if he feels any pressure — which also contributes to his accuracy problems.

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Little about Allar’s performance Saturday was clean. At the same time, he showed some of the stuff that keeps NFL scouts heavily interested.

We saw him step up from the rush on a third-and-long and deliver an off-platform shot to an underneath receiver for a smooth 25-yard gain, making a play when it didn’t look like there was one to be made. He did the same thing later in the game when SMU covered a flea-flicker, which forced Allar to salvage the play by adjusting his body and delivering an awkward-release throw to a back.

In general this season, Allar has been fantastic between the numbers. He also has a huge arm, can run and is not afraid of the moment.

Full context with Allar is important, of course. He was a late bloomer in high school, and though he’s been on the field for Penn State since his true freshman season, his experience level falls shy of many of his peers. And that’s part of why his footwork, for one, is still very much a work in progress. It’s better today than it was a year ago, but it still needs to improve.

As expected, Drew Allar staying in school. The right move for a really talented QB with a chance to cement himself as a top-10 pick next year. https://t.co/RveGbvyKWK

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) December 16, 2024

The biggest question is whether an NFL team will be patient with Allar. While there are more coaches in the league now willing to give young QBs time than there were 10 years ago, the NFL is not a developmental league.

If Allar declares for the 2025 draft, he likely would not make it out of the second round, and it’s very possible he’d be a first-round pick. Were he to return — and drastically improve his process consistency — he could have the tools to be QB1 in the 2026 draft class, regardless of who else declares.

The ballad of Quinn Ewers is a long and winding tale. From a pure arm-talent standpoint, his appeal has always been obvious. Not unlike former South Carolina and current New Orleans Saints QB Spencer Rattler, Ewers’ ability to get the ball out quickly with velocity, from just about any arm angle, is as good as it gets. He doesn’t need much time — and doesn’t need a receiver to be wide-open.

When Ewers’ feet are under him and he’s protected, he throws an extremely pretty ball and has the look and feel of a quarterback who could survive in the NFL. The problem for Ewers, though, is that those moments have been flashes and not the norm.

CAUGHT 🤘‼️#CFBPlayoff | @QuinnEwers @MatthewGolden_2 pic.twitter.com/Tl4HZJtZsG

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) December 21, 2024

He has them nearly every game, including in Texas’ Playoff win over Clemson. The Longhorns spent most of the first half running the ball and keeping Ewers’ attempts limited to underneath areas with differing screens. When Texas is out in front, Ewers is often at his most efficient; when he’s asked to make throws late in a game from behind or with the game tied, things can become problematic.

Ewers did have an interception in this game on a ball that was dropped, but his throw on that play arguably didn’t give his receiver much of a chance to do anything but bobble it or get leveled. He also put a ball on the hip of Matthew Golden on a botched fourth-down play.

Clemson picks off Quinn Ewers 👀

An illegal blindside block negated the TD. pic.twitter.com/mg0HhM8DwR

— ESPN (@espn) December 21, 2024

The thing that’s easy to respect about Ewers’ game, though, is how he always gets back on the horse. Ewers has had some rough moments this season (his performance against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game was problematic). But every time he stumbles, he gets back up and fights. Longtime QB coaches will tell you the biggest sign of a quarterback’s mettle is what he does immediately after an interception.

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Following his mistake Saturday, Ewers rebounded quickly and led a scoring drive, capped by a touchdown pass. He has moments of struggle, yes. But he rarely, if ever, just completely collapses.

I’m not nearly as high on Ewers as some — for me, he’s a fourth-to-fifth-round prospect. I don’t think this is a Bo Nix situation, where you have an undersized passer with enough mobility, smarts and arm talent to make an offense work without sabotaging it. It’s hard to feel confident that Ewers could do that for an NFL team on a regular basis.

Allar and Ewers are the two best NFL quarterback prospects in the 2024 College Football Playoff, and each is a good example of what the 2025 QB class will be about. There isn’t a no-doubt passer in this class — every prospect has either a sizable flaw or a pretty big question mark about his game.

Allar’s arm is huge, his frame is huge, he’s a great athlete and he’s only 20. The appeal is obvious. So are the downsides, as he’s been heavily protected by Penn State’s (rather gimmicky) offense during his career and won’t survive in the NFL with the footwork he currently displays. And Ewers’ arm talent is real, even if he can be a frustrating prospect overall.

For Allar, a potential semifinal matchup with Georgia or Notre Dame would give us (and maybe Allar himself) much more information. That said, at the moment, it feels like he’s making the right call to return to Penn State and keep working on the little things.

As for Ewers? He also should have chances to prove himself against top-tier defenses during this Playoff. But he’s in his third season as a starter and his fourth in college. He might be as ready as he’s going to be for the next level. Unlike with Allar, another year for Ewers — be it at at Texas or elsewhere — doesn’t figure to change much about his draft profile.

(Top photos of Drew Allar and Quinn Ewers: Mitchell Leff and Jack Gorman / Getty Images)