The transfer portal has added one quarterback to Utah’s roster this offseason, and now it could be taking one away. Jason Shelley announced he is entering his name in the NCAA’s transfer portal as he begins to search for a new home.
“After a lot of praying and talking with my family, I have decided to enter my name in the NCAA transfer portal,” Shelley said in a statement share don his Twitter account. “Thank you coaches for this opportunity to play for the University of Utah these last [three] seasons.”
A Utah Man Am I ❤️ 4L 🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/9XltOKwh1O
— Jason Shelley II (@jason3shelley) February 7, 2020
Shelley’s decision to enter the transfer portal comes two months after former South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley announced he will be moving to Utah as a graduate transfer. As a graduate transfer, Bentley will be eligible to play immediately this fall for the Utes, and the expectation is he will be the starter for the defending Pac-12 South Division champions.
By entering his name in the transfer portal, Shelley is free to have contact with any college football program interested in recruiting him. Shelley also has the option of pulling his name out of the transfer portal and stay at Utah, but schools are not obligated to hold a player’s scholarship once they enter their name in the transfer portal. If Shelley does transfer to another FBS program, he will have to sit out the 2020 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
Shelley played in a total of 18 games for Utah in his first two seasons with 1,205 passing yards and six touchdowns. The highlight of his brief stay in Salt Lake City will be leading Utah to a wild comeback victory against rival BYU in 2018. Down 27-7 in the third quarter, Shelley led Utah to 28 unanswered points, punctuated by a 33-yard touchdown run to put the game out of reach late in the fourth quarter of the 35-27 victory.
