Source: Tech QB Smith having name entered into transfer portal
Texas Tech's quarterback room soon will be a little less crowded with experienced starters.
Donovan Smith, who led the Red Raiders to some of their most pulse-pounding victories the past two seasons, is having his name placed into the NCAA transfer portal, a source confirmed Monday to the Avalanche-Journal.
Smith led Tech to victories over Iowa State and Mississippi State as a heavy underdog last season, winning the Liberty Bowl most valuable player award in the latter. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound sophomore from Frenship also led the Red Raiders to a double-overtime victory against Houston and an overtime victory against Texas in the first month this season.
However, he suffered a shoulder injury running for a touchdown against the Longhorns and started only one more game. The heavily contested Tech quarterback job passed to Behren Morton, who started games six through nine this season and then, after Morton was injured, to Tyler Shough, who started games 10 through 12.
Smith passed for 1,181 yards and seven touchdowns in 2021 and passed for team highs of 1,505 yards and 12 TDs this season. Smith also rushed for three TDs last year and seven this year and caught a touchdown pass in Tech's 51-48 overtime victory against Oklahoma, the regular-season finale.
In August, the NCAA Board of Directors approved two transfer-portal windows: a 45-day period that began Monday, the day after bowl selections are made, and a 15-day period from May 1-15 that will allow players to have their names entered into the portal after spring practice.
Smith isn't the only Big 12 quarterback newly on the market. Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders, the Big 12 total offense leader and second-leading passer this season, announced his intent to transfer.
Tech (7-5) plays Mississippi (8-4) in the Texas Bowl. That game is scheduled for 8 p.m. Dec. 28 at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Morton, a redshirt freshman, has three years of eligibility remaining after this season. Shough has the potential for two: one for the Covid-bonus year available to all players on rosters in 2020 and another should he decide to pursue a medical hardship waiver for his injury-shortened 2021 season.
Tech has a commitment from Justin Northwest quarterback Jake Strong for the upcoming signing period for the 2023 class of recruits.
Texas Tech players interested in a transfer have a financial incentive not to have their names entered into the portal before Dec. 13, the last day of fall-semester final examinations. Tech athletes are eligible for up to $2,990 in financial awards per semester ($5,980 per academic year) under the Strive Program, a result of the Supreme Court's 2021 decision in NCAA vs. Alston that struck down caps on athletes' academic benefits.
Tech fall-semester final exams are scheduled Dec. 8-13.
"If they're in the portal as of the last day of finals or prior, that would disqualify them," Tech senior associate athletics director Jonathan Botros said last week.
Tech will pay $1,990 per semester to athletes who are academically eligible, on course to graduate on schedule, not having their names in the portal and in good standing with their teams at the end of the semester. Additional amounts are paid based on grade-point average increments, performing five hours of community service and participating in name, image and likeness education, community service and personal and career development training.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Source: Tech QB Donovan Smith having his name entered into NCAA transfer portal
