How Michael Penix, Caleb Williams And Other Transfer Quarterbacks Are Performing This Season

The grass has proven to be greener for many quarterbacks who transferred to their current schools ahead of the 2022 season. In fact, three of the top five in passing yards and four of the top 11 in touchdown passes are transfers. For others, well, the change of scenery has been little more than just that.

Here is an alphabetical look at many of the QBs who switched schools for 2022 and how they have performed heading into the final weekend of October.

Connor Bazelak, Indiana/Missouri

Bazelak has thrown at least one interception in each game during the Hoosiers’ current five-game skid, including a pick six in a 24-17 loss at Rutgers last week. His nine interceptions are tied for fourth-most nationally and contribute toward a pass efficiency rating that is 113^th among 117 qualified quarterbacks. Indiana (3-5/1-4 Big Ten) has an open week followed by a visit from Penn State and a trip to Ohio State.

Gerry Bohanon, USF/Baylor

A dismal season got worse for USF (1-6/0-3 AAC) when Bohanon was lost for the duration with a shoulder injury sustained against Tulane on October 15. After a miserable first four games in which he threw six interceptions without a touchdown pass, Bohanon was on a roll having totaled 751 yards and eight TDs in two-plus games when he went down.

Ben Bryant, Cincinnati/Eastern Michigan

Bryant’s second tour of duty at UC – he served as Desmond Ridder’s backup prior to transferring to EMU, where he started last season – has been solid with an average of 252 passing yards per game and 15 touchdowns through seven weeks. He had his worst outing statistically in the Bearcats’ (6-1/3-0 AAC) win at SMU last week. He will be tested by UCF’s defense in Orlando on Saturday.

Todd Centeio, James Madison/Colorado State

Centeio, who began his career at Temple, is leading JMU (5-2/3-2 SBC) to a nice showing so far in its first year of FBS affiliation. He has thrown at least two touchdown passes in five of six games and has totaled 22 TDs (five on the ground) to place among the nation’s leaders in points responsible for. He threw just a single pick before being intercepted three times in the Dukes’ loss to Georgia Southern, their first loss of the season, on October 15.

Chevan Cordeiro, San Jose State/Hawaii

Cordeiro’s completion percentage is only 56.8, but he leads the Mountain West with an average of 13.7 yards per completion. He has thrown only one interception while totaling 13 touchdowns, six on the ground. While it is not all on him, Cordeiro has been sacked 22 times in the Spartans’ (4-2/2-1 MWC) first six games. (The Spartans’ game at New Mexico State last week was postponed due to the death of SJSU’s Camden McWright.) Cordeiro’s renews acquaintance with his former Hawaii teammates Thanksgiving weekend in San Jose.

Jayden Daniels, LSU/Arizona State

Clearly growing more comfortable as this season progresses, Daniels had an eye-opening performance in the Tigers’ (6-2/4-1 SEC) win last week against visiting Ole Miss when he totaled 369 yards and five touchdowns, with three of the scores on the ground. He has totaled 21 TDs (12 passing) and has thrown only one interception through eight games.

JT Daniels, West Virginia/Georgia

Daniels threw three interceptions in an unpardonable blowout loss at Texas Tech. That left the Mountaineers (3-4/1-3 Big 12) scrambling for bowl eligibility while they still have to play TCU (Saturday), Oklahoma, Kansas State and Oklahoma State. A problem has been getting the ball down field as Daniels is averaging only 10.4 yards per completion, which is 103rd nationally.

Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss/USC

Dart has had his ups and downs in his first full season as a starter at Ole Miss (7-1/3-1 SEC) while learning a new offense under Lane Kiffin. He had 448 yards and three TDs against Vanderbilt, but also threw two picks. He completed only nine passes against Auburn, but three were for touchdowns. Dart, who is averaging an impressive 14.9 yards per completion to place fifth nationally, has topped 100 yards rushing twice.

Jayden De Laura, Arizona/Washington State

De Laura has passed for at least 400 yards three times and equaled a school mark with six touchdown passes against Colorado. He is fifth nationally with an average of 325 yards passing per game and his 19 touchdown passes are tied for eighth. He is on pace to post the second-most passing yards in a single season in Arizona (3-4/1-3 Pac 12) school history. USC, Utah and UCLA are the next three opponents. De Laura then faces his former Cougars teammates November 19 in Tucson.

Tommy DeVito, Illinois/Syracuse

DeVito has led the Fighting Illini (6-1/3-1 Big Ten) to its best start since 1953. He does not have the gaudy numbers as many other quarterbacks on this list. What DeVito has done, though, is limit turnovers (only two INTs) while completing 75 percent of his passes in three of the last four games to improve to 10^th nationally with a 70.4 completion percentage. He has thrown 10 touchdown passes and ran for four, including three in a win over Wisconsin.

Quinn Ewers, Texas/Ohio State

Ewers went from a two-week stretch in which he threw seven touchdowns against Oklahoma and Iowa State to completing 19-of-49 with three interceptions in a lost at Oklahoma State. Coach Steve Sarkisian is sticking with Ewers (11 TDs, 5 INTs) instead of going with Hudson Card, who has battled injuries this season and nearly led the Longhorns (5-3/3-2) past Alabama earlier this season when he came on for the injured Ewers.

Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma/UCF

A concussion resulted in Gabriel missing OU’s (4-3/1-3 Big 12) debacle against Texas after exiting the week before against TCU. He returned against Kansas and promptly picked up where he left off in a season in which he has thrown 13 touchdown passes with only one interception. Gabriel, who also has three rushing touchdowns, is 13^th nationally in pass efficiency.

Layne Hatcher, Texas State/Arkansas State

Hatcher transferred within the Sun Belt, which will make for an obvious storyline when the Bobcats (3-5/1-3 SBC) host the Red Wolves on November 19. Hatcher has 16 touchdown passes in eight games and has thrown for at least two TDs in five of them. He is averaging only 10.4 yards per completion placing him toward the bottom in that category. He has thrown eight interceptions.

Emory Jones, Arizona State/Florida

Jones transferred to Arizona State (2-5. 1-3 Pac-12) amid an NCAA investigation (recruiting violations) hovering over the program and with quite a shakeup on the coaching staff and several players transferring out of the program. Then, Herm Edwards was fired after an embarrassing loss to visiting Eastern Michigan on September 17. It has been a struggle for an offense that ranks 99^th nationally in total offense and with Jones throwing just five TD passes in seven games, though only four picks.

Adrian Martinez, Kansas State/Nebraska

Martinez was injured on the Wildcats’ (5-2/3-1 Big 12) first possession in last Saturday’s loss at TCU. He did not return and his status for this week’s game against visiting Oklahoma State is uncertain. In four of his six full games, Martinez has thrown for 150 yards or less and has just 907 passing yards on the season. However, he has not been intercepted and leads the nation’s quarterbacks with 565 yards rushing and nine touchdowns.

Bo Nix, Oregon/Auburn

Nix has twice thrown five touchdown passes to join Justin Herbert and Marcus Mariota as the only Oregon (6-1/4-0 Pac-12) quarterbacks to do that in a single season. He threw three of his five TD passes against UCLA last week in the second quarter. Nix, who has been sacked just once, has totaled 25 touchdowns (17 passing) and is sixth nationally in points responsible for while completing 71.5 percent of his passes. He should pad his stats the next two weeks against Cal and Colorado.

Michael Penix, Washington/Indiana

November 12 at Oregon (Nix) should make for an entertaining matchup among transfer QBs. A healthy Penix leads the nation with 367 passing yards per game and is fourth with 22 touchdown passes. He has topped 300 yards passing in all eight games and has thrown four TD passes in four games. In an October 15 win over Arizona, he set UW (6-2/3-2 Pac-12) single-game marks with 455 passing yards and 529 total yards.

John Rhys Plumlee, UCF/Ole Miss

Plumlee had four 300-yard passing efforts in his first six games with the Knights (5-2/2-1 AAC) and totaled 18 touchdowns (11 passing) with only three interceptions. Things suddenly went south last week at ECU as Plumlee was picked three times in a lopsided defeat. He enters a critical matchup against visiting Cincinnati on Saturday ninth nationally with an average of 331 yards of total offense per game.

Jack Plummer, Cal/Purdue

In his first full season as a starter, Plummer has established career highs in virtually every major passing category, including 12 touchdowns. Three times this season he has thrown three TD passes, including last week’s loss to Penix and Washington. Plummer will likely have to come up big as the Golden Bears’ (3-4/1-3 Pac-12) next three games are against Oregon, USC and Oregon State.

Spencer Rattler, South Carolina/Oklahoma

Rattler has looked great at times and lost at others. Yet, the Gamecocks (5-2/2-2 SEC) are ranked for the first time in four years. Rattler is 92^nd nationally in pass efficiency and has thrown just five touchdown passes with eight interceptions, including 2/4 against SEC opponents. He is ninth among SEC quarterbacks in yards passing per game with 209.

Austin Reed, Western Kentucky/West Florida

A great story as Reed transferred from the Division II Argonauts to the FBS. He won the job in preseason camp and has not looked back. In fact, he threw at least two touchdown passes in each of the Hilltoppers’ (5-3/3-1 CUSA) first seven games before being blanked in last week’s win against UAB, when he ran for two scores. Reed has thrown 21 TD passes, good for fifth nationally, and is eighth in throwing for 306 yards per game.

Kedon Slovis, Pitt/USC

Coach Pat Narduzzi is sticking with Slovis to the lead the Pitt (4-3/1-2 ACC) offense despite throwing for only 328 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions the last two games. A two-pick performance in a loss last week against a Louisville team that had struggled in defending the pass was a low point. On the season, Slovis, who missed a game in September due to injury, has thrown only five TD passes with three of them coming in a loss to Georgia Tech. He is 91^st nationally in pass efficiency.

Casey Thompson, Nebraska/Texas

Thompson has thrown at least one touchdown pass in all eight games, though that has not prevented the close losses from continuing to pile up in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers (3-4/2-2 Big Ten) have, at least, pulled out a couple of close ones and have two Big Ten wins for the first time since 2018. Thompson, who has also thrown two interceptions in each of the last two games and has eight on the season, has totaled 16 TDs, including five on the ground.

Kyle Vantrease, Georgia Southern/Buffalo

Vantrease is second nationally in passing yards to Michael Penix with 2,704, or 338 per game. He threw for a school record 578 yards in a win over James Madison on October 15, a game in which also threw four touchdown passes, something he has done twice this season. Vantrease, though, leads the nation with 12 interceptions, including four in GSU’s (5-3/2-2 SBC) eight-point loss to Georgia State.

Cameron Ward, Washington State/Incarnate Ward

Ward has 16 TD passes through seven games in his FBS debut season. He is also averaging 280 passing yards per game, good for fourth in the Pac-12 and 21^st nationally. His high-water mark was 375 yards in a shootout loss against Oregon, a game in which he completed nearly 80 percent of his passes, but threw a pair of picks. The last couple of games have not gone so well as he was sacked a combined 11 times in the Cougars’ (4-3/1-3 Pac 12) losses at Oregon State and USC.

Grant Wells, Virginia Tech/Marshall

It’s not just Wells who has been subpar during a four-game losing streak in which the Hokies (2-5/1-3 ACC) have scored all of 63 points. Yet, he has too often not helped the cause during a season in which he ranks 105^th in pass efficiency. Getting the ball down field (10.2 yards per completion) has been an issue for an offense that is averaging 19.1 points (115^th). Wells has thrown seven touchdown passes and seven interceptions.

Caleb Williams, USC/Oklahoma

To say things are going very well for both Williams and Lincoln Riley at USC (6-1/4-1 Pac-12) would be an understatement. After all, the former has thrown 19 touchdown passes (tied for eighth nationally) and only one interception in seven games with the Trojans. He threw five TD passes in a loss to Utah and has thrown at least two TD passes on six occasions. Williams has thrown for 1,971 yards, or 282 per game, and threw for a season high 381 yards against the Utes.