JT Daniels, Kedon Slovis Among College Quarterbacks Preparing To Start For Third Or Fourth School

Since the transfer portal became a much busier place two years ago thanks largely to the NCAA permitting immediate eligibility, roster sheets have been valuable commodities during spring drills and preseason camp.

When it comes to quarterbacks, there are a handful this spring who are getting ready to start, or at least in competition do so, for a third or fourth school. JT Daniels is at the head of the class when it comes to QBs and the transfer portal as he likely to start for a fourth team.

Here is an alphabetical look at well-traveled quarterbacks preparing to be the No. 1 in 2023 for yet another team.

Connor Bazelak: Bowling Green/Indiana/Missouri

With Matt McDonald having completed his career, Bowling Green coach Scot Loeffler needed a veteran quarterback. Bazelak returns to his home state after playing one season at Indiana and three at Mizzou, where he became a starter as a redshirt freshman in 2020 and was the SEC’s co-freshman of the year. Bazelak’s brief time in Bloomington did not end well as injuries nagged him over the final few games of 2022. He arrived at Bowling Green with two years of eligibility and should nail down the starting job. Senior Camden Orth (57 attempts at FBS level) backed up McDonald last year.

JT Daniels: Rice/West Virginia/Georgia/USC

Daniels’ journey through the college football landscape will conclude with his fourth school in as many conferences and third time zone. Rice coach Mike Bloomgren recruited Daniels when the former was the offensive coordinator at Stanford and the latter a five-star recruit who chose USC. Daniels was the Trojans’ season-opening quarterback as a true freshman in 2018 and started 11 games. He tore an ACL and a meniscus in the 2019 opener, injuries that sidelined him until late in the 2020 season when he was with Georgia. He started four games for the 2021 national champion Bulldogs before transferring West Virginia where he had his most playing time (10 starts) since his freshman year at USC.

Layne Hatcher: Ball State/Texas State/Arkansas State/Alabama

Hatcher committed to the Cardinals three weeks after Texas State fired Jake Spavital, who was fired at the conclusion of the 2022 season. Hatcher has four seasons of starting experience, the first three at Arkansas State and Texas State last season when he topped 10,000 career passing yards. Hatcher began his collegiate career as walk-on at Alabama in 2018 where he was in a quarterback room with Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones. After redshirting that season, the Little Rock native transferred to Arkansas State to play for Mike Neu, who initially recruited Hatcher. The Cardinals, who otherwise have very little experience at the position, will be his fourth team and third with which he will take the field.

Emory Jones: Cincinnati/Arizona State/Florida

After biding his time for three years at Florida, Jones started 12 of the Gators’ 13 games during a 6-7 season in 2021, Dan Mullen’s last in Gainesville. Jones participated in spring practice at UF last year under Billy Napier before entering the portal and landing at Arizona State to play for Herm Edwards. He started the Sun Devils’ first six games with three under Edwards and three under interim head coach Shaun Aguano before losing his job to Trenton Bourguet. Two weeks after Kenny Dillingham was hired and one week after Jacob Conover transferred from BYU, Jones was back in the portal. He landed at Cincinnati, which is on its way to the Big 12 and where Jones is competing with Ben Bryant and Evan Prater under new coach Scott Satterfield.

Phil Jurkovec: Pitt/Boston College/Notre Dame

The Steel City native returned home for his final season of eligibility and should feel at home as he reunites with Frank Cignetti Jr., who was Jurkovec’s offensive coordinator at Boston College in 2020 and 2021. Cignetti, who Pat Narduzzi brought on board last year to be Pitt’s OC, needed a quarterback after Kedon Slovis entered the portal and ultimately signed on at BYU. Jurkovec spent two seasons as Ian Book’s backup at Notre Dame prior to transferring to Boston College, where he spent three injury-riddled seasons. At Pitt, he is competing with returnee Nate Yarnell and fellow transfer (Penn State) Christian Veilleux.

Jordan McCloud: James Madison/Arizona/USF

The Tampa native began his collegiate career at home playing for USF. He took over the Bulls’ offense early in his redshirt freshman season of 2019 under Charlie Strong and started seven of nine games in virus-abbreviated 2020 under Jeff Scott. McCloud transferred to Arizona and stepped in for injured starter Will Plummer early in the 2021 season only to suffer season-ending ankle and knee injuries during his second start. Down on the depth chart at the beginning of 2022 and not having seen any action, McCloud left the Wildcats in October and committed to JMU in November. He is by far the most experienced of four quarterbacks competing for the Dukes this spring.

Kedon Slovis: BYU/Pitt/USC

Crossing the country to take over the Panthers’ offense for Kenny Pickett was no small task for Slovis, especially with 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison having transferred to USC, where Slovis arrived from. He threw for 2,397 yards with only 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2022, his lone season in the Steel City after three years with the Trojans. The job is seemingly his to lose in Provo where he takes over for Jaren Hall (declared for NFL draft) and with Jacob Conover having transferred to Arizona State. The 2023 season will be Slovis’ final one of eligibility. Of note: Slovis took over for JT Daniels when the latter was injured in USC’s 2019 season opener.