Report: Baylor QB Zach Smith to Transfer

The QB situation at Baylor got a little more dicey today with the report that rising junior Zach Smith, who led the Bears to a bowl win last year against Boise State, will transfer out of the program. Smith’s departure will leave Baylor with one scholarship QB on the roster going into spring practice pending the results of next week’s early signing day, where the Bears have targeted 4* QB Gerry Bohanon of Earle, Arkansas.

Even assuming the Bears get Bohanon (which is far from a done deal at this point), that doesn’t really solve the program. Brewer, who is coming off a shoulder surgery but should be 100%, will obviously enter spring practice as the presumptive starter. Bohanon would enroll early to join him. But that’s still only two scholarship QBs, one of whom would be a true freshman in any playing time he might get. That’s not ideal. I would look for Baylor to scour the ranks of graduate transfers once again, try to bring in a JUCO either now or in the summer, or both. We might even take another HS QB if one is available after the early signing period ends, but I’m not sure who that would be. As Brian Ethridge likes to say, it’s a fluid situation.

As for Zach, any guesses about where he might go would be purely that—guesses. It would make sense for him to try to join Kendal Briles at FAU or Phil Montgomery at Tulsa, but I doubt that decision has been made. Regardless of where he ends up, losing him from this team sucks for more reasons than simply his talent or the resulting roster crunch; he earned that single-digit jersey, was respected as a leader in the locker room, and has done absolutely everything right since the day he got here. When others left he didn’t, even though he easily could have. We owe him a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. He is the epitome of what we want a Baylor football player to be, and I will cheer him on wherever he goes, as I think everyone will.

Best of luck, Zach!