Another transfer portal QB that BYU was reportedly pursuing has made his commitment
Early Monday morning, a transfer portal quarterback that BYU was reportedly pursuing made a commitment elsewhere — Michigan State’s Sam Leavitt announced he is headed to Arizona State.
A couple hours later, another quarterback that the Cougars have reportedly been recruiting out of the portal also came off the board.
Former Boise State quarterback Taylen Green announced Monday at noon MST that he is headed to Arkansas.
”I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.“
Psalms 32:8 NIV 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/41ZHcAHPYX— Taylen Green (@taylengreen17) December 11, 2023
BYU was one of several schools to show interest in Green, according to On3, along with LSU, Cal, UCLA and Oregon State, as well as “more than 10 other schools.”
KTVB’s Jay Tust reported that Green was scheduled to visit Cal on Monday and had plans to visit BYU, LSU and Oregon State this week, but he instead made the commitment to Arkansas after visiting Fayetteville, Arkansas, over the weekend.
“Arkansas felt like the best fit for me,” Green told On3’s Pete Nakos. “From the beginning, coach (Sam) Pittman and coach (Bobby) Petrino had a very specific plan for me and that’s why I couldn’t be more excited to be part of this program. Go Hogs!”
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The 6-foot-6 Green — who hails from Lewisville, Texas — spent the past three seasons, including one redshirt year, at Boise State.
During the 2023 season, the dual-threat quarterback split time with Maddux Madsen of American Fork High and completed 57% of his passes for 1,752 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Green also rushed for 434 yards and nine touchdowns.
Green’s best statistical season as a collegian came in 2022, when he completed 61% of his passes for 2,042 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 586 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Green played against BYU in the 2022 season, when the Cougars beat the Broncos 31-28 in Boise. In that game, Green completed 17 of 23 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns while running for 19 yards on six carries.
In Arkansas, Green could vie immediately for the Razorbacks’ starting job, depending on what happens with KJ Jefferson, the program’s starter the past three seasons. On Nov. 29, 247 Sports’ Chris Hummer reported that Jefferson was expected to enter the transfer portal, though according to On3, that has yet to happen.
Where does this leave BYU?
The Cougars, who brought in former USC and Pittsburgh quarterback Kedon Slovis last offseason out of the transfer portal, reportedly have shown interest in a couple other transfer portal quarterbacks.
That includes Hawaii quarterback Brayden Schager — Nakos reported that the signal caller who has one year of eligibility remaining visited BYU on Sunday.
The 6-foot-3 Schager started 26 games over the past three years, including every game in 2023. This season, he completed 63.2% of his passes for 3,542 yards (10th-most at the FBS level in 2023), 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in his best collegiate season.
Schager has primarily been a pocket passer, as he’s rushed for 60 yards and two touchdowns over the past three seasons.
The Cougars have also offered Ohio quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who announced the offer last week. Rourke is entering the portal as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.
He announced that Vanderbilt, Indiana and Wake Forest have offered scholarships, as well.
Rourke was named the 2022 MAC Offensive Player of the Year. That year, he completed a career-high 69% of his passes for 3,256 yards, 25 touchdowns and four interceptions.
This past season, the 6-foot-5 Rourke saw his passing numbers dip, as he completed 64% of his passes for 2,207 yards, 11 touchdowns and and five interceptions.
Rourke is more of a mobile quarterback — he rushed for 832 yards and 11 touchdowns during his time at Ohio.
With Slovis having exhausted his NCAA eligibility, the Cougars have five other quarterbacks on their roster currently set to return. That includes junior college transfer Jake Retzlaff, who started the final four games for BYU in relief of an injured Slovis. The Cougars went 0-4 with Retzlaff as the starter.
Other quarterbacks on the BYU roster include Cade Fennegan (a Boise State transfer), Ryder Burton, Nick Billoups and Cole Hagen.
