Notable QBs that transferred from Texas starting elsewhere
With Sam Ehlinger leading the charge a few seasons ago, Texas was thought to have a very bright group of quarterbacks behind him.
Tom Herman had brought in a slew of quarterbacks with the ability to be a dual-threat at the forefront. Something that current Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian doesn’t utilize nearly as much, if at all.
Ehlinger was a decent passer that rarely made mistakes as he got older, but there was growing excitement as to who Herman would pick as his successor. Unfortunately for Herman, Ehlinger’s last season also happened to be his last as Herman was let go at its conclusion.
Sarkisian inherited a roster with major holes all over it and a very inexperienced quarterback room that clearly didn’t mesh well with his scheme. Something that became evident after hosting a position battle between Hudson Card and Casey Thompson that he didn’t declare a winner for quite some time, and he immediately benched Card for Thompson after one bad game.
When looking around the college football landscape, there are a handful of former Texas quarterbacks that didn’t pan out in Austin that are now starting elsewhere. Let’s take a look at where each of the quarterbacks who are expected to start after transferring.
Ja'Quinden Jackson, Utah
Ja’Quinden Jackson wasn’t in Austin for very long as he spent just one season as a Longhorn. He ended up transferring to Utah where he would eventually transition to running back. He is now the starting running back for the Utes, and is sharing the backfield with another former Texas quarterback. This past season he rushed for over 500 yards averaging 6.8 yards per carry and also racked up nine rushing touchdowns.
Cam Rising, Utah
Cameron Rising was another quarterback that spent just one season at Texas and decided to depart from the program during Ehlinger’s reign. He landed at Utah where he was beaten out for the starting job by Charlie Brewer, but eventually took over and hasn’t looked back. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the country, leading Utah to back-to-back Pac-12 titles. This past season he threw for over 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns to just eight interceptions.
Hudson Card, Purdue
Hudson Card sat behind Ehlinger to start his career and was the quarterback that Steve Sarkisian chose to be his first starter at Texas. Unfortunately for him after a strong showing in Week 1, Card crumbled against Arkansas and was pulled in favor of Casey Thompson who took over as the full-time starter. Card then stuck around this past season and backed up Quinn Ewers, who at times was struggling so much that some fans felt Card should have been given another chance. He is now the starter at Purdue and has a fresh start.
Casey Thompson, FAU
Casey Thompson flirted with transferring on a couple occasions and at one point was even enrolled in classes at Oklahoma before returning to Texas. He led the Big 12 in passing during his one season as the starter at Texas, but a thumb injury derailed his season and Sarkisian went looking for another quarterback to bring in. Thompson transferred to Nebraska for this past season, but again got injured. He is now the starting quarterback at Florida Atlantic, where he will play his sixth and final season under Tom Herman.
