Louisville football training QBs to play receiver. How switch has worked for other teams
Former Bullitt East quarterback Travis Egan’s first touchdown pass for Louisville football won’t count on the official statistics, but it was significant.
During the Cardinals’ spring game April 19, Egan tossed a 30-yard score to fellow quarterback Sam Young, an Oldham County graduate. No, it wasn’t one of coach Jeff Brohm’s famous trick plays. Young was lined up as a receiver for the Cardinals.
Young and Egan took reps at receiver during spring practices because the Cardinals are thin at the position. U of L has plenty of signal callers. Last year, Louisville played nine quarterbacks against Murray State. This season, seven QBs are listed on the roster.
After the spring game, Brohm complimented Young’s willingness to contribute in any way needed.
“He just goes out there and loves playing the game, along with all the other quarterbacks that have taken reps at receiver even though they want to play quarterback,” Brohm said. “These guys haven't complained. They're a special group. They love their teammates, and they love having fun. You just want to build a team with that type of camaraderie and chemistry, and then you just try to piece it together, put the best plan in front of them, so that they can go out and enjoy wins.”
The Cardinals, of course, aren't the first team to have players switch positions, and they have some good examples to follow. Here are five players who made the transition from QB to receiver in college and the NFL:
Luke McCaffrey
The brother of San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, Luke McCaffrey switched from QB to receiver in 2022. In his debut season playing receiver for Rice, Luke led the Owls with 58 receptions and 903 all-purpose yards. He was second on the team in receiving yards (723) and touchdown receptions (6). Luke also was named team MVP. A year later, Luke was the Owls’ leading receiver with 992 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns on 71 receptions in 13 games played, earning All-AAC honors. Luke was selected in the third round with the 100th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders.
Hines Ward
Before winning two Super Bowls and being a Super Bowl MVP as a receiver with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hines Ward was a dual-threat passer and two-time Offensive Player of the Year for Forest Park (Georgia) High School (1992-93). At Georgia, Ward was mostly a receiver but also played quarterback and running back. He finished his collegiate career with the program's fifth-most all-purpose yards (3,870). The Steelers selected him in the third round (No. 92 overall) of the 1998 NFL Draft.
David Sills V
The Delaware native was an all-state honoree as a QB but switched to receiver during his first season at West Virginia in 2015. David Sills left the Mountaineers and played QB at El Camino College in California before returning to West Virginia, where he spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons as a receiver. Sills was a first-team All-American in 2017 and a second-team All-American in 2018. He totaled 2,097 yards and 35 touchdowns on 132 receptions for the Mountaineers, starting 26 of 33 games played. Sills went undrafted in 2019 and signed with the Bills, but he was waived before the NFL season started. He landed with the New York Giants and bounced between the active roster and the practice squad. In 2023, he joined the Denver Broncos' practice squad.
Braxton Miller
Braxton Miller, an Ohio native, was the top-ranked player in the state and the second-ranked dual-threat QB nationally. He opted to play for the Buckeyes. As a sophomore in 2012, Miller totaled 2,039 yards and 15 touchdowns, completing 148 of 254 passes. He also had 1,271 yards and 13 scores on 227 carries. He finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting that season behind Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M), Manti Te’o (Notre Dame), Collin Klein (Kansas State) and Marqise Lee (USC).
Two years later, Miller switched to receiver but sustained a season-ending shoulder injury and didn't play again until 2015. That year, he was fourth on the team in reception yardage (341), helping the Buckeyes go 12-1. The Houston Texans selected him in the third round (No. 85 overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. He spent two years with the team and caught 34 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns. He was waived by the Texans in 2018.
Julian Edelman
His switch didn’t happen until he reached the NFL.
After starting at San Mateo College, Julian Edelman was a three-year starting quarterback at Kent State (2006-08). There, he set the program record for single-season total yards with 3,190 in 2008 (it was surpassed by Dustin Crum with 3,332 in 2019). Edelman also has the fourth-best all-time passer efficiency of those with 300 or more pass attempts (119.22).
The New England Patriots drafted Edelman with the 232nd pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and moved him to receiver. In his first season, Edelman had 359 yards and a touchdown on 37 catches. In 2021, Edelman retired as a three-time Super Bowl champion and 2019 Super Bowl MVP. He has the second-most career receptions in franchise history (620) with 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns.
Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on X at @Alexis_Cubit.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Jeff Brohm moving Louisville QBs to receiver. How switch has worked
