Looking to the Future: Potential QB Transfers For Rutgers Football

Following the mass QB exodus from the end of November, it is time to look at potential quarterbacks who could come in and give the Rutgers offense a shot in the arm.

While Gio Rescigno did an okay job in his half season audition, and Johnathon Lewis being hyped as the next big thing on the banks, it will be interesting to see if any graduate transfers, or just transfers in general, make their way to Rutgers to increase the quarterback competition.

Just to be clear, the names on this list are by no means definite or have even mentioned wanting to transfer, I am merely looking at some potential candidates who could be a fit at Rutgers.

Thomas Sirk - Duke

Achilles injuries cost Sirk two season in Durham, including the 2016 season, but he was awarded a sixth season of eligibility by the NCAA in November. In Sirk’s absence, redshirt freshman Daniel Jones started for the Blue Devils, leading them to wins over North Carolina and Notre Dame. When on the field, Sirk has played extremely well and seems like a perfect fit for a Spread Power offense. In 2015, he threw for 2,625 yards with 16 touchdowns and ran for 803 yards, placing second in the Duke record books with 3,428 yards of total offense. He is a bigger body, and reminds me of someone similar to Tim Tebow.

John Franklin III - Auburn

As a fan of the Netflix show Last Chance U, I had the chance to learn the story of John Franklin III (JF3) and his struggles after transferring from Florida State to East Mississippi State. After transferring from East Mississippi, Franklin ended up at Auburn and did not have the season he wanted and is now potentially looking at transferring again in the wake of former top recruit and Baylor starting quarterback Jarrett Stidham signing with the Tigers. Franklin, who threw for 197 yards and one touchdown, and ran for 414 yards this year at Auburn, is much more of a running threat than a passing threat. His speed and athleticism would bring a new dimension to the Rutgers offense.

Cooper Bateman - Alabama

Part of a slew of transfers from Alabama, Bateman is a long shot that could really help the Scarlet Knights. Hailing from Utah, Bateman had multiple chances to be the starter in Tuscaloosa but was never able to firmly entrench himself as the starter, eventually losing out to Jacob Coker and then Jalen Hurts. In limited action in 2016, Bateman went 12/14 for 119 yards and one touchdown. I assume Bateman will be returning out West to transfer, but an opportunity to start at a Big Ten school might be enough to sway him.

Malik Zaire - Notre Dame

The biggest longshot of them all, Zaire is a rare quarterback talent looking for a fresh start after a rough season at Notre Dame. Reportedly looking for a school with a pro-style system (particularly North Carolina and Wisconsin), Zaire would bring instant credibility to Rutgers and would help bridge the gap to the future.

Alex Hornibrook - Wisconsin

If Zaire does indeed transfer to Wisconsin, it would be interesting to see if Hornibrook would transfer. A Pennsylvania product, Hornibrook would be coming closer to home and would give Rutgers a quarterback who got a lot of playing time as a freshman for a top-10 program. This season, Hornibrook threw for 1,243 yards and eight touchdowns.

Chris Chugunov - West Virginia

A Montgomery, New Jersey native, Chugunov could be on the move with the transfer of former Florida starting QB Will Grier to West Virgina. Chugunov, who was a three star recruit out of high school, is more of a pocket passer than a runner, and would give the Scarlet Knights a strong armed QB. He would be someone who is capable of stretching the field and potentially taking the top off of defenses and open up more running lanes.

Demry Croft - Minnesota

The only quarterback recruited by Jerry Kill in his final season at Minnesota, Croft would be a dual threat capable of fitting the power spread offense. Croft was a three star recruit coming out of high school and in his senior season he threw for 2,011 yards and ran for 845. Croft was clocked at a 4.6 40 time as well. As one of two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster at Minnesota, it will be interesting to see if he would leave an open QB competition for a chance to play for his former coach.

David Pindell - Lackawanna Community College

The only JUCO on the list, Pindell is a sleeper who has potential to be great. A dual threat quarterback, Pindell was the starter at Lackawanna this season where he threw for 2,424 yards and 31 touchdowns and ran for 459 yards with 8 touchdown. Pindell was a two star recruit out of high school and originally signed with South Carolina State before making his way to Lackawanna.