Schools that make the most sense for former Texas QB Casey Thompson

With a full quarterback room headlined by Ohio State transfer Quinn Ewers, Casey Thompson felt it was in his best interest to enter the NCAA transfer portal on Friday.

Thompson sat through the Sam Ehlinger era, and received meaningless snaps every once in a while, but really burst onto the scene when Ehlinger went down in the Alamo Bowl against Colorado. He would throw four touchdowns, while completing 80% of his passes in the win. It gave Texas and their fans hope for the future.

Things did not go according to plan, as Thompson was beat out by redshirt freshman Hudson Card for the starting job prior to the 2021 season. He would later retain it, only to struggle mightily losing six straight games after he won his first three starts against lesser opponents.

While there were some very poor throws and decisions made along the way, Thompson’s play really took a decline after he injured his throwing hand against Oklahoma. He was unable to grip the ball correctly, and lost a ton of velocity and accuracy.

Unsurprisingly to most, Thompson decided that entering the transfer portal was the best move for his future, which quite frankly makes sense with the signings of Quinn Ewers and Maalik Murphy.

While his time as a Longhorn didn’t end how he would have liked, he still has the skillset and capabilities to play elsewhere at a high level. Here are the schools that I think make the most sense for Thompson to transfer to.

TCU

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Thompson’s new home could very well end up being somewhere in the Big 12, as there are multiple programs that could use more consistent quarterback play and/or are losing a quarterback. TCU seems to be the favorite right now, as Thompson has already received one crystal ball in favor of the Horned Frogs. They still have Max Duggan and Chandler Morris, but with Sonny Dykes coming in as a new coach it is likely he will hold an open competition, and although Thompson isn’t the most gifted passer, he could win this battle.

Nebraska

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Thompson’s decision came a little late in the game in terms of transferring to schools with a glaring need for quarterback, so schools like LSU, South Carolina, and UCLA have all taken in quarterbacks or have their situation figured out. However, Nebraska’s quarterback spot is up for grabs after the departure of Adrian Martinez, who transferred to Kansas State. Scott Frosts’ team made history for how many games they lost in such a close margin, and Thompson was apart of multiple games in which double-digit leads were blown. This could be a redemption story for both, and Frost was Thompson’s recruiter when he was at UCF.

Oklahoma State

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Thompson is an Oklahoma native, and of the two Oklahoma schools this quarterback situation would likely give him a better chance of moving closer to home and playing. This obviously depends on what Spencer Sanders decides to do as well, because if he stays there is no way Thompson goes to Stillwater.

Indiana

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With Michael Penix Jr. now at Washington, Indiana’s quarterback situation is fairly open for someone like Thompson to come in and start. He is someone who is looking for the best situation to go and play immediately, as he will not have time nor the desire to sit behind someone again. The Big Ten is home to some of the weakest quarterback play at the middle and bottom tier schools, and Thompson will likely take a few phone calls from these types of schools.

Iowa State

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This would be a great scenario for Thompson, as Iowa State is a well coached team and their offense uses the quarterback’s ability to create in the air and on the ground. At Texas, it seemed as if both quarterbacks were urged not to run, which led to a lot of sacks or mistakes. Thompson would have the chance to compete at the highest level in the Big 12, while also displaying the same skillset we saw in the Alamo Bowl. The quarterback spot will be vacant, as Brock Purdy accepted an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl, so Matt Campbell will need to work with a new quarterback for what feels like the first time in forever.

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