Tracking Quarterback Transfers

Submitted by chatster on September 2nd, 2019 at 2:42 PM

It wasn't that long ago when Ryan Mallett going from Michigan to Arkansas, Steven Threet going from Georgia Tech to Michigan to Arizona State, Russell Wilson's transfer from North Carolina State to Wisconsin and other college quarterback transfers seemed rather rare.*  Now it seems like quarterback transfers are going to become college football's new normal.

Checking the first-game stats for some of the quarterbacks who transferred since the start of the 2018 season:

Ross Bowers (Cal-Berkeley to Northern Illinois) - 20-33, 292 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 5 for -10, 0 TD  rushing in 34-10 win vs. Illinois State
Kelly Bryant (Clemson to Missouri) - 31-48, 423 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 11-20, 0 TD rushing in 37-31 loss to Wyoming
Shane Buechele (Texas to SMU) - 30-49, 360 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT in 37-30; 4-3, 0 TD rushing in 37-30 win vs. Arkansas State
McLane Carter (Texas Tech to Rutgers) - 21-31, 340 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT; 1 for -4, 0 TD rushing in 48-21 win vs. Massachusetts
Jacob Eason (Georgia to Washington) - 27-36, 349 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT; no runs in 47-14 win vs. Eastern Washington
Justin Fields (Georgia to Ohio State) - 18-25, 234 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT; 12-61, 1 TD rushing in 45-21 win vs. Florida Atlantic
Gabe Gubrud (Eastern Washington to Washington State) - 9-11, 76 yards, 1 TD; no runs in 58-7 win vs. New Mexico State
Ben Hicks (SMU to Arkansas) - 14-29, 142 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 2-6. 0 TD rushing in 20-13 win vs. Portland State
Gunnar Hoak (Kentucky to Ohio State) - Did Not Play in 45-21 win vs. Florida Atlantic
Alex Hornibrook (Wisconsin to Florida State) - Did Not Play in 36-31 loss to Boise State
Jalen Hurts (Alabama to Oklahoma) - 20-23, 323 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 16-176, 3 TD rushing in 49-31 win vs. Houston
Josh Jackson (Virginia Tech to Maryland) - 15-24, 245 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT; no runs in 79-0 win vs. Howard
Austin Kendall (Oklahoma to West Virginia) - 27-42, 260 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 3-0, 0 TD rushing in 20-13 win vs. James Madison
Johnny Langan (Boston College to Rutgers) - 1-1, 8 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 2 for -2, 0 TD rushing in 48-21 win vs. Massachusetts
Tate Martell (Ohio State to Miami) - No passes; 1 for -1, 0 TD rushing in 24-20 loss to Florida
Riley Neal (Ball State to Vanderbilt) - 14-25, 85 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 10 for -2 rushing, 0 TD in 30-6 loss to Georgia
Brandon Peters (Michigan to Illinois) - 14-23, 163, 3 TD, 0 INT; 6-36, 1 TD rushing in 42-3 win vs. Akron
Nick Starkel (Texas A & M to Arkansas) - 4-5, 48 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT in 20-13 win vs. Portland State
Tommy Stevens (Penn State to Mississippi State) - 20-30, 236 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 11-37, 1 TD rushing in 38-28 win vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
Jack Tuttle (Utah to Indiana) - Did Not Play in 34-24 win vs. Ball State
Ty Storey (Arkansas to Western Kentucky) - Did Not Play in 35-28 loss to Central Arkansas
Brandon Wimbush (Notre Dame to UCF) - 12-23, 168 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 8-20, 0 TD rushing in 62-0 win vs. Florida A & M

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*  I haven't forgotten Shane Morris going from Michigan to Central Michigan and Alex Malzone going from Michigan to Miami of Ohio, or any of the more memorable quarterback transfers in the past, like the past two Heisman Trophy winners, Baker Mayfield (Texas Tech to Oklahoma) and Kyler Murray (Texas A & M to Oklahoma). LINK

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Quarterback Transfers; College Football

chatster

September 2nd, 2019 at 2:58 PM ^

Apologies, but he was NOT a transfer, unless going to the Washtenaw County Holmes Youthful Trainee Act program counts as a transfer. He's gone, but not forgotten. Despite that guilty plea to delivering fewer than 50 grams of cocaine after he'd been dismissed from the team, thanks for the memories, Justin Feagin!

Joined: 09/14/2010

MGoPoints: 26987

814 East U

September 2nd, 2019 at 3:54 PM ^

I'm curious how this will change QB recruiting (if at all). I'm assuming Michigan will continue to go after the best QBs they can while also signing lower ranked "project" QBs with high upside. Hopefully, those "project" recruits plan to stay 2-3 years before transferring. 

Joined: 10/24/2012

MGoPoints: 20279

Sambojangles

September 3rd, 2019 at 6:03 PM ^

I don't think it changes much - you take the best guy you can every year. If a QB doesn't want to stick around, then you just have a hole in your roster that you try to fill - if you're lucky, you have a guy like McCaffrey who is ready to step up when the guy a class ahead (Peters) leaves. Also, you can likely plug a backup hole with a transfer, if necessary - like Miami and Tathan Martell.

Joined: 12/15/2008

MGoPoints: 10996

Frank Chuck

September 2nd, 2019 at 4:15 PM ^

Lincoln Riley is the QB Whisperer.

I know Michigan fans won't want to read or hear that but at this point...the evidence is overwhelming in favor of Lincoln Riley. Crown him.

Joined: 05/01/2015

MGoPoints: 15900

isai

September 2nd, 2019 at 4:27 PM ^

Also, Joe Burrows (OSU - LSU) 23-27, 278 yds, 5td, 1-2, 0 rushing TD.  OSU fans may be missing him this season.  Granted, he transferred prior to the 2018 season.

Joined: 04/09/2012

MGoPoints: 133

chatster

September 2nd, 2019 at 7:02 PM ^

As my original post indicates, I was "(c)hecking the first-game stats for some of the quarterbacks who transferred since the start of the 2018 season".  I'm well aware that Shea Patterson qualifies as a "transfer", but he had transferred before the start of the 2018 season.

Joined: 09/14/2010

MGoPoints: 26987

Ali G Bomaye

September 3rd, 2019 at 9:09 AM ^

I'm still mystified why Hornibrook chose to transfer to FSU, given that they had a guy (Blackman) returning with an entire year of starting experience and a lot more potential than Hornibrook.

Joined: 07/08/2008

MGoPoints: 17697