USC quarterback Kedon Slovis has entered the transfer portal after starting three years with the program, according to 247Sports' Chris Hummer. Slovis leaves the Trojans with up to two years of eligibility remaining and immediately becomes one of the top names in the transfer portal.
Slovis took the nation by storm in a sensational freshman season in 2019, completing 71.9% of his passes for 3,502 yards and 30 touchdowns to lead the Trojans to an 8-5 record, including a 7-2 mark in conference. He led USC to the Pac-12 Championship Game one year later and thrived under Air Raid offensive coordinator Graham Harrell.
Injuries impeded his progress in 2021, however, and he struggled to improve on his freshman year numbers. The Scottsdale, Arizona, native finishes his career in Los Angeles with 7,576 yards and 58 touchdowns. Those marks rank No. 7 and tied for No. 5, respectively, on the all-time USC passing charts.
Here's what Slovis' impending transfer means moving forward.
Rebuilding stock
Before the 2021 season, Slovis was considered a strong contender to be a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. But after stagnation and an injury-plagued junior year, Slovis is suddenly left looking for a new situation.
Looking around the top 25, No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 8 Ole Miss are both quarterback-friendly offenses that will be replacing starters. Oregon and Clemson were both a quarterback away from being legitimate College Football Playoff contenders.
Regardless, Slovis' top priority should be finding an offense that fits him so he can continue to prove himself to NFL scouts. With his accuracy and success at a big-time school, he should be a top target for any top-25 program in need of a quarterback.
USC's QB room is bare
Slovis' decision leaves the Trojans with just two scholarship quarterbacks weeks after the school hired new coach Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma. USC has just four commitments in the 2022 Class with two days remaining until the Early Signing Period.
Jaxson Dart showed real potential as a freshman, completing 61.9% of his passes for 1,353 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions. Miller Moss only appeared in the 24-14 loss to Cal, but looked efficient.
Expect Riley -- one of the nation's most intriguing quarterback experts -- to look to the transfer portal for a signal-caller. With veteran receivers like Tahj Washington and Gary Bryant Jr. on the roster, there's no reason to wait to try and get answers at the position.
Wild transfer portal
The transfer portal has been around for a while now, but the quarterback talent in the portal is virtually unmatched in college football history. Former No. 1 overall recruit Quinn Ewers announced his transfer from Ohio State to Texas on Sunday, an earth-shattering decision that decision-makers in Austin can hope turn the tide.
Additionally, 247Sports transfer ratings names Oklahoma's Spencer Rattler, UCF's Dillon Gabriel and UIW's Cameron Ward as blue-chip transfer recruits. Don't be surprised if Slovis ends up on that list. Other notable names include LSU starter Max Johnson, Nebraska's all-time passing leader Adrian Martinez, talented Indiana starter Michael Penix and former blue-chip Ohio State recruit Jack Miller.
Quarterback transfers are always a lottery ticket, but the success of recent ones have made the portal hard to ignore. Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray won Heismans as transfers. Western Kentucky's Bailey Zappe leads the nation in passing and touchdowns. Transfer Jack Coan led Notre Dame to a top-five finish. Time will tell if Slovis can be a sport-changing addition for a contender, but he has flashed NFL potential since arriving on campus as a relatively unheralded recruit.
