By Tony Thomas
As entry into the transfer portal closes tomorrow, two teams from the Sunshine State have found their gunslingers for next season, and one quarterback has made the decision to enter his name for a chance to extend his career on a professional level.
KJ Jefferson in the driver’s seat of the Gus Bus
Fans of the UCF Knights are bouncing with joy as head coach Gus Malzahn has found his quarterback for 2024. Former Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson has committed to the Knights and will most certainly have the Bounce House bouncing next season.
Treat yourself to 5 minutes of KJ Jefferson showcasing his talent pic.twitter.com/0zNya81Bn2
— Barstool UCF (@UCFStool) January 2, 2024
In 2023, Jefferson passed for 2,107 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight INTs. In addition, Jefferson added 447 rushing yards and two scores in a tough season for the Razorbacks, finishing with a 4-8 record and checking the box in the win column only once in SEC play.
For his career in Fayetteville, Jefferson posted 7,923 passing yards and 67 touchdowns, which is tops in school history, and 18 INTs. In addition, Jefferson has rushed for 1,876 yards and 21 TDs.
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Jefferson’s skills bode well for Malzahn and UCF. Malzahn is one who knows how to effectively use a dual-threat quarterback and make him successful (remember Cam Newton?). Jefferson is big, but athletic at 6’3”, 247 lbs., and just steamrolls opposing tacklers at the point of attack. He is adept at running the zone read, which Malzahn deploys, and Jefferson executed for two seasons at Arkansas under former OC Kendal Briles.
DJ Uiagalelei finishing his career in the Sunshine State
After just one season at Oregon State, DJ Uiagalelei is headed to Tallahassee to play for Mike Norvell, the 2023 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year. Florida State was the only visit taken by Uiagalelei during his time in the transfer portal.
The Seminoles are coming off a 2023 season that saw them go undefeated in the regular season, their starting quarterback end his season with a broken leg, win the ACC title, get left out of the College Football Playoff, and then suffer an embarrassing 60-point loss to fellow CFP exile Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
With Jordan Travis exhausting his eligibility, and his backup Tate Rodemaker deciding to transfer, the Seminoles quarterback room is thin on bodies and experience. That is where Uiagalelei comes in.
The former five-star prospect and Clemson signal-caller, Uiagalelei passed for 2,638 yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven INTs, completing 57% of his passes. In addition, Uiagalelei rushed for 219 yards and six more scores. Some of Uiagalelei’s highlights of the 2023 season include:
- Five consecutive weeks without throwing an INT.
- Accounted for 12 touchdowns (seven passing, five rushing) in the first four weeks of the season.
- Threw five TD passes and no INTs in a 52-40 win over CAL.
Jack + DJ picking up right where they left off 🙌
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/3zPckljVoZ
— Oregon State Football (@BeaverFootball) October 29, 2023
One of the characteristics of the Florida State program that was appealing to Uiagalelei was the offense that Norvell operates, moving the ball down the field with a vertical passing game.
Are there aspects of Uiagalelei’s game that need improving? Yes, there are, and the fact that Norvell is known for developing quarterbacks bodes also appealed to Uiagalelei. In his college career, Uiagalelei has passed for 8,319 yards, 57 touchdowns, and 24 INTs.
Cameron Ward to the Pros
In a quarterback draft class that includes big names like Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, Michael Penix, Jr., and Jayden Daniels, another talented quarterback who has declared for the NFL Draft that cannot be ignored is Cameron Ward.
In 2023, Ward ranked 4th in the FBS in passing as he threw for 3,736 yards, 25 touchdowns, and seven INTs (in 485 pass attempts). In addition, Ward scored eight rushing TDs. Ward did not throw an INT until week five on the road at UCLA, where he threw two picks. During that same time frame, Ward accounted for 16 total touchdowns.
That cam ward pick would fit like a glove. Perfect dude to sit behind David’s little brother. He has the skill set of the QBs I like and can make a lot of throws. Most recent in that Washington state vs Washington game. ARM TALENT pic.twitter.com/ZjWMMgeHWs
— StoicismDawg (@FatsDomino09) January 1, 2024
A native of West Columbia, TX, Ward has thrown for 13,874 yards, 119 TDs, and 30 INTs in his collegiate career. Those numbers include two seasons (2020-2021) at the FCS level as the starting quarterback for Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX. In the COVID season of 2020, Ward passed for 2,260 yards, 24 touchdowns (which led the FCS), and just four INTs. For his efforts, Ward won the Jerry Rice Award as the outstanding freshman in the FCS.
In 2021, Ward had a huge breakout season by throwing for 4,648 yards and 47 touchdowns on his way to being named the Southland Conference Player of the Year. Pretty damn good for a kid who ran the antiquated offense known as the Wing T in high school.
The Chicago Bears have acquired the #1 pick in the Draft from the Carolina Panthers. Do they move on from Justin Fields and select a quarterback like Cameron Ward? Do they retain Fields and build an offensive line to protect him? We shall see. The Bears are now on the clock.
