College Football QBs Most Likely to Transfer Before the Start of Summer
It might not seem like it by looking outside in much of the United States, but spring football is just around the corner. And with spring comes inevitable position battles. Quarterback battles are the most intriguing of all position scrums because, after all, only one man can start at quarterback at one time.
The winner of a quarterback battle gets a chance to prove himself on the field. The loser? A clipboard, a headset and hope. Well, a little bit of hope.
Matt Brown of Sports on Earth broke down the quarterback uncertainty across the nation. We’ll take it a step further.
Which quarterbacks are most likely to transfer before the beginning of the 2015 season? Let’s take a look.
Alabama QB Cooper Bateman
1 of 9
Second verse, same as the first. Well, with less highly touted transfers, at least. Last spring, Alabama had a huge quarterback derby to replace graduated AJ McCarron, with five candidates competing during spring practice. The specter of Jake Coker (transferring from Florida State as a graduate transfer) loomed over all of them: It was believed that no matter who won, Coker would be the favorite once he arrived in May.
That wasn’t the case. Senior Blake Sims won the job, and although he split reps with Coker early on, he claimed the job as his own, throwing for 3,487 yards and 28 touchdowns against 10 interceptions while leading Alabama to an SEC title.
Now, Sims is gone, and Coker is left to battle with another talented group of young quarterbacks. A year ago, Coker threw for 403 yards and four touchdowns against no interceptions, getting mostly mop-up duty following the first month of the season.
His competitors include sophomore Cooper Bateman, junior Alec Morris, redshirt freshman David Cornwell and 5-star recruit and early enrollee Blake Barnett. They’ll be battling to run an offense that will also be trying to replace Biletnikoff Award-winning receiver Amari Cooper and tailback T.J. Yeldon (bruising junior Derrick Henry is in line to become the top tailback).
Although we all know what assumptions do, let’s assume that Coker wins the job this time around. That would leave four scholarship quarterbacks behind him. Alabama lost a pair of quarterbacks to transfers following the 2013 season in Parker McLeod and Luke Del Rio but none after last season. The depth chart would have to thin out some, right?
If Bateman doesn’t win the job, look for him or Morris to make the move out of Tuscaloosa.
LSU QB Brandon Harris
2 of 9
Without Zach Mettenberger, LSU’s offense mostly looked stuck in the mud in 2014. Despite the presence of talented players such as freshman tailback Leonard Fournette (an early 2015 Heisman Trophy candidate) and wideouts Malachi Dupre and Travin Dural, the Tigers averaged just 27.6 points per game, No. 76 nationally.
Neither freshman Brandon Harris nor sophomore Anthony Jennings truly distinguished himself in the Tigers offense as Mettenberger’s replacement. Jennings threw for 1,611 yards and completed just 48.9 percent of his passes. Harris threw for 452 yards with six touchdowns against two interceptions, completing 55.6 percent of his passes but struggling in his only start, a 41-7 loss at Auburn.
Per NOLA.com's Jim Kleinpeter, Harris' high school coach encouraged him to transfer.
LSU did sign a quarterback in dual-threat Justin McMillan, but the competition appears to be between Harris and Jennings. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Jennings emerged in spring and Harris sought a fresh start elsewhere.
Notre Dame QB Everett Golson
3 of 9
As the 2014 season began, the story surrounding Notre Dame’s quarterback position was Everett Golson’s return from a yearlong academic suspension.
As we enter 2015, the spotlight is again on Golson, but it's for a very different reason. There’s a real question whether he’ll be the Fighting Irish starter or even be on campus when fall practice rolls around.
Golson was a major factor in Notre Dame’s 6-0 start but struggled as the Irish lost five of six to end the regular season. After throwing 16 touchdowns against four interceptions in the season’s first half, he threw 14 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in the second half and was benched in favor of backup Malik Zaire.
Zaire started the Music City Bowl win over LSU, although Golson also played, throwing for 90 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. The younger Zaire is a mobile player and would appear to be in the driver’s seat entering spring.
Would it make sense for Golson to finish his career elsewhere? Absolutely.
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Baylor QB Chris Johnson
4 of 9
Baylor found itself just short of a College Football Playoff berth last fall, and the future looks bright for the Bears offense in 2015. Shock Linwood, who had 1,252 yards last year, leads a deep backfield, and a pair of 1,000-yard receivers return in Corey Coleman and KD Cannon.
The only question is: Who will run the whole show?
Bryce Petty has graduated, leaving a void at quarterback. The clear candidate to replace him is junior Seth Russell, who excelled as Petty’s understudy last fall, throwing for 804 yards and eight touchdowns against one interception, which included a start at Buffalo.
A pair of talented youngsters in Chris Johnson and Jarrett Stidham will pressure him, but Russell has experience in the Baylor offense, which will be led by new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles. Smart money says Russell will move into the No. 1 spot, but Johnson, a sophomore, would be the most likely transfer candidate. He attempted four passes in 2014, completing all of them.
Oregon QB Jeff Lockie
5 of 9
The biggest question for Oregon as it enters spring practice is simple: What does life after Marcus Mariota look like? He did it all for the Ducks last fall, winning a Heisman Trophy and carrying Oregon to its second national title game in five seasons. He threw for 4,454 yards with 42 touchdowns against four interceptions and added 770 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
How do you replace that? Not easily.
Oregon will have a crowded group of competitors vying to become the new starter, including a surprising addition. Eastern Washington star Vernon Adams announced that he would transfer for his final season, and he could be the favorite, despite having no FBS experience.
The only Oregon quarterback besides Mariota to throw a pass last season was junior Jeff Lockie, who completed 21 of 28 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown in mop-up duty. Other contenders include redshirt freshman Morgan Mahalak, incoming freshman Travis Waller and Georgia Tech transfer Ty Griffin.
With Adams arriving this summer, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Lockie decided to transfer if he's unsuccessful in spring practice.
Oklahoma QB Trevor Knight
6 of 9
Suggesting it was an ugly 2014 for Trevor Knight would be an understatement. He ended 2013 on a high following an impressive performance in a Sugar Bowl win over Alabama, but that success didn’t carry over into 2014.
He threw for 2,300 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and missed three games with a scary-looking neck injury. Knight returned in the Russell Athletic Bowl and completed 17 of 37 passes for 103 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions in a 40-6 loss to Clemson.
And when Bob Stoops revamped his offensive staff, hiring East Carolina offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley, the deck might have been stacked against Knight even further.
Riley is a proponent of the Air Raid passing offense, and the Sooners just happen to have a quarterback who is skilled in that system in Texas Tech transfer Baker Mayfield. He started multiple games for Tech in 2013, throwing for 2,316 yards with 12 touchdowns against nine interceptions.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if he passes Knight this spring. Oklahoma also has two solid young quarterbacks on the roster in sophomore Cody Thomas and redshirt freshman Justice Hansen. The Sooners didn’t sign a quarterback in the 2015 class.
Would it be wise for Knight to look elsewhere if he doesn’t fit the Air Raid system? Absolutely. Don’t be stunned if it happens.
Ohio State QB Braxton Miller
7 of 9
Entering 2015, Ohio State has one of the most intriguing quarterback competitions in recent memory. Last fall, the Buckeyes offense had serious questions after standout senior Braxton Miller, an outstanding dual threat, was sidelined for the season by a shoulder surgery.
But following a slow start, redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett emerged as a star, throwing for 2,834 yards and 34 touchdowns against 10 interceptions and adding 938 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.
He led the Buckeyes to the precipice of the College Football Playoff, and after Barrett suffered a season-ending broken ankle in the regular-season finale against Michigan, third-stringer Cardale Jones finished the job, leading wins in the Big Ten title game and a pair of playoff games with a big arm and surprising mobility.
Barrett and Miller are not expected to participate fully in spring practice, which will leave the spotlight for Jones (who turned down an opportunity to enter the NFL draft). Speculation about a graduate transfer has surrounded Miller.
"There are a lot of things that go on out there that are out of his control,” OSU coach Urban Meyer said of Miller before the Sugar Bowl, per Matt Hayes of Sporting News. “So, we've had conversations, and I expect him to be back at Ohio State.”
Perhaps this summer he’ll find a home at a quarterback-needy landing spot like Florida State or LSU for his final year of eligibility. If he isn’t the starter, staying at Ohio State wouldn't make sense for him.
Iowa QB Jake Rudock
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Iowa suffered through an ugly 7-6 season, and one of the defining stories was the back-and-forth quarterback battle between Jake Rudock and C.J. Beathard. Rudock started all but one game during the regular season, but fans consistently pined for Beathard, who led a comeback victory at Pitt and won the following week at Purdue with Rudock sidelined by injury.
Before the TaxSlayer Bowl, Beathard’s father suggested to Matt Slovin of The Tennessean that his son might transfer following the bowl game if he wasn’t given a chance to play. Beathard started against Tennessee, but neither quarterback was impressive in a 45-28 loss.
Rudock completed 61.7 percent of his passes on the season while throwing 16 touchdowns against five interceptions, while Beathard completed 56.5 percent of his passes with five touchdowns against two interceptions. Following the bowl game, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz took the rare step of releasing a post-bowl depth chart with Beathard on top.
Rudock is eligible for a graduate transfer, so perhaps he’ll take the hint and leave the job to Beathard once summer begins.
Texas QB Tyrone Swoopes
9 of 9
Charlie Strong’s first season in Austin was mostly rooted in frustration. While he booted multiple players from Texas’ roster in hopes of restoring order and much-needed toughness, the Longhorns struggled on the field, going 6-7 following an ugly Texas Bowl loss to Arkansas.
The early “retirement” of quarterback David Ash following repeated concussions forced Tyrone Swoopes into the lineup, and the results were mixed at best.
Swoopes threw for 2,409 yards with 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, completing 58.3 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 262 yards and four touchdowns.
This spring, Swoopes will be pushed by former 4-star recruit Jerrod Heard, who mixes the run and the pass ably. Texas also snagged highly touted recruit Kai Locksley, who decommitted from Florida State just before signing day. So it’s not as if the cupboard is bare.
If Heard can push past Swoopes, it might be enough to convince him the future would be brighter somewhere other than Austin.
Recruit rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
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