Smith adds interesting dynamic to Tulsa QB situation
When we first reported the possibility last week of Zach Smith transferring from Baylor to Tulsa, it was still up in the air at that point, but it became official on Saturday when the quarterback stated his intentions on Twitter.
The 6-foot-3 and 225-pound signal caller plans to enroll at Tulsa for the spring semester, and he’ll have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2018 season due to transfer rules – meaning the Hurricane’s QB situation will get even more interesting down the road.
This marks the second time Smith has committed to Philip Montgomery. The first was when Montgomery was still the offensive coordinator at Baylor, and he extended an offer to Smith after a football camp before Smith’s junior year. Smith committed to Montgomery and Baylor on June 2, 2014.
Six months later, Montgomery left Baylor to become the head coach at Tulsa. Smith signed with the Bears in February of 2016 as a 4-star prospect, rated by Rivals.com as the nation’s No. 11 pro-style quarterback.
In his freshman season at Baylor, Smith started four games in 2016 in place of injured Seth Russell. He completed 116-of-196 passes (59-percent) for 1,526 yards and 13 touchdowns with seven interceptions.
As a sophomore in 2017, Smith started six games for the Bears before being sidelined with a shoulder injury. He completed 105-of-201 passes this season for 1,471 yards with eight scores and eight interceptions. His best performance was against Oklahoma, completing 33-of-50 passes for 463 yards and four touchdowns.
Smith’s transfer to Tulsa will mark a return to the offense he was originally recruited for at Baylor. He didn’t appear as comfortable in 2017 in the offense installed by new head coach Matt Rhule.
Tulsa’s current quarterback situation is up in the air after completing its worst passing season, statistically, since 1995, where sophomore Chad President and redshirt freshman Luke Skipper split time and combined for six passing touchdowns and six interceptions.
In the spring and fall, those two will continue to compete for the starting spot, along with newcomer Davis Brin, who signed in December and will enroll at TU this month. Also on the roster for 2018 are redshirt freshmen Seth Boomer and Brandon Marquardt, along with junior Will Hefley.
Skipper was making strides toward the end of last season and appears to be the current leader for the starting role in 2018. But no matter who takes the reins next season, Zach Smith will become another part of the equation in the spring of 2019.
