Alex Hornibrook will transfer from Wisconsin. What are the five best teams for him?
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He was better than he ever got credit for.
Alex Hornibrook might not have been the most consistent passer, and he had some mediocre moments when he didn’t get the job done, but overall, he turned in a strong run going 26-6 as the Badger starter. And now he’s entering the portal as a grad transfer.
In his career, he completed 61% of his passes for 5,438 yards and 47 touchdowns and 33 picks. The lefty struggled through concussion issues last season, but when he was on – like he was in the 2018 Orange Bowl, throwing for four scores in the win over Miami – the offense moved.
Now that he’s gone, the spotlight will be on Jack Coan, who stepped in last season and threw for 515 yards and five scores with three picks, even though he was kept under wraps. The door is also open for super-recruit Graham Mertz to step in right away. He’ll be around for spring ball, but he’ll have to battle with Coan, Danny Vanden Boom, and Chase Wolf for the gig.
On the plus side, the Badgers have Jonathan Taylor back along with a slew of good receivers, but the line only returns one starter.
Hornibrook can still return to Wisconsin if he chooses, and he’s not a sure-thing starter if he goes to a high-powered program. He appears to be past the concussion issues, but those will still be a factor going forward. As is, he’s a good veteran presence who can step in right away and upgrade a mediocre passing game and offense.
So, based on nothing more than total throw-it-at-the-wall speculation and where the right fit might be, here are five places that could use a quarterback of Hornibrook’s talent and experience …
5. Tennessee Volunteers
It didn’t exactly work out all that well for Keller Chryst last year when he went from Stanford to the Vols – he only threw 51 passes – as Jarrett Guarantano became the starter and lead man for the program.
It’s a little bit of the same situation. Tennessee could use a veteran presence in case there’s an issue with the No. 1 guy – and Hornibrook would be a strong emergency option who could step in and produce without any concern.
There’s the off chance that he could take over the job right away, too, considering the quarterback situation isn’t a rock-solid lock. Guarantano is the No. 1, but head coach Jeremy Pruitt loves cranking up the depth chart battles.
Tennessee is always pinging every decent option out there, but considering Hornibrook is leaving a likely starting job, he’s probably not going to be interested in any place where he’s not going to be a starter.
NEXT: And he can go home to have his laundry done on weekends …
4. Temple Owls
Does new head coach Rod Carey like Anthony Russo enough to make him the sure-thing No. 1 guy?
The junior is a big bomber who threw for 2,563 yards and 14 touchdowns and 14 picks last season, throwing too many interceptions and being too inconsistent. However, he put up massive numbers and was a big part of the second half rebound.
But Hornibrook – a Pennsylvania native from a few miles outside of Philadelphia – has the ability to push for the job right away to kick off the Carey era and be a big upgrade for a decent team that gets back most of the top receiving talent.
It’s going to be a rough year in the American Athletic East, but having a 26-win Big Ten quarterback might just be enough to give the Owls a shot.
NEXT: They didn’t get him the first time around
3. Pitt Panthers
The passing game has to be better.
Kenny Pickett has the upside, and he was supposed to be able to take the offense up a few notches after taking over the full-time job last season, but he only completed 58% of his passes for fewer than 2,000 yards and 12 scores with six picks.
Granted, the running game was the star of the Panther offense, but with most of the receiver talent coming back, and a rebuilding year overall, Hornibrook might have a shot at stepping in and pushing Pickett out of a job.
Pitt was deep in the mix for Hornibrook in the recruiting process the first time around, and the Pennsylvania native might want to make the move over to a spot where he could help out the ACC’s second-worst passing attack.
But this really might be Pickett’s gig, so …
NEXT: Hornibrook would’ve been the absolute worst quarterback for this team last year, but now …
2. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
New head coach Geoff Collins needs a passing quarterback.
The Yellow Jackets aren’t going to run the old Paul Johnson option attack, but it’s not going to be the fun ‘n’ gun right out of the gate. The offense has a terrific group of receivers, all five starters back on the offensive line, and the running backs are there to take the heat off the QB.
The team has a few veterans to play around with. Lucas Johnson is a passer who’s coming back from a leg injury, and Tobias Oliver was terrific at times when he took over last season.
Hornibrook would almost certainly start right away.
This is going to be a year of transition in a whole lot of ways, and Johnson might really be the best option. But if his leg isn’t quite 100%, or the team wants a veteran Power Five quarterback who knows how to win, this might just be a terrific marriage for the two sides.
NEXT: If you did beat ’em (a few years ago) …
1. Miami Hurricanes
New head coach Manny Diaz is going to keep the defense roaring, and now he needs an offense.
It’s all about whether or not Tate Martell is eligible right away.
If he is, then forget about it and Miami is off the table for Hornibrook. But if Martell doesn’t get the nod from the NCAA for this year, then this team full of talent is N’Kosi Perry or bust at quarterback – and that’s a problem.
With last year’s top receiver Jeff Thomas returning after saying he was leaving for Illinois, and with Buffalo transfer KJ Osborn a fantastic pickup, the weapons are there.
Hornibrook might just be the difference-maker in a weak ACC Coastal. Add him in a possible rotation with Perry – creating a little something to play around with to find the right mix – and the Canes will be the favorites to get back to the conference title game for the second time in three years …
If Martell isn’t eligible.
