Jason Brown, South Carolina’s starting QB, will transfer
South Carolina’s quarterback room took a hit on Wednesday.
Gamecocks starting quarterback Jason Brown announced his intention to enter the transfer portal via Twitter after just one season in Columbia. He will be a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.
“I want to thank Coach Beamer, Coach (Satterfield) and the rest of the coaching staff for taking a shot and believing in me,” Brown wrote in a graphic he posted to social media. “I want to thank my teammates for giving me some of the best moments of my life. We made memories I will cherish forever. Lastly, thank you Gamecock Nation for being unbelievable every week and making me feel loved from day one.”
After a standout career at St. Francis (Pennsylvania), Brown transferred to USC with Red Flash teammate E.J. Jenkins. Brown dropped 20 pounds over the offseason, but began the year as the third-string quarterback behind Luke Doty and Zeb Noland.
Brown was initially beat out for the starting quarterback job by both Doty and Noland, but injuries to each thrust him into the lineup ahead of South Carolina’s game against Florida. Brown won his first start, completing 14 of 24 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns.
The former FCS transfer later guided USC to a win over Auburn to reach the six-win bowl eligibility threshold for the first time since the 2018 season.
“I can’t even put into words how I feel right now,” Brown said after the Florida win. “It’s just an unreal feeling. Just think about it: I was a third-team guy for a while, and I just kept preparing as though I was the starter.
“Just being able to come in and lead us to a victory tonight is something special, and I’m gonna cherish this moment forever.”
Brown’s departure comes just two days after South Carolina landed a commitment from former five-star recruit and one-time Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler.
With Rattler in the fold and Doty expected to make a full recovery from the foot injury that ended his season, it was likely Brown would slide down the depth chart again had he remained at USC.
South Carolina is expected to turn to Noland at quarterback in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against North Carolina later this month following Brown’s departure.
Noland joined the Gamecocks earlier this year as a graduate assistant but was added to the active roster in the wake of Doty’s initial foot injury during fall camp.
The former Iowa State and North Dakota State quarterback beat out Brown for the starting gig at the beginning of the season, but had since been slotted behind Brown after undergoing a procedure on his knee during the bye week.
Noland replaced Brown during South Carolina’s 30-0 loss to Clemson in the regular season finale. He completed 11 of 22 passes for 96 yards.
This story was originally published December 15, 2021 at 10:54 AM.
