Sam Huard’s story is not unique.
Granted, there are certainly exclusive elements — how his father (Damon) and uncle (Brock) both starred in Seattle, cultivating a legacy of prolific quarterback play; how his last name became inextricably bound to a program as well as a position; how he set the state’s prep passing record (with 13,214 yards) in his final game before enrolling early at Washington; how a ranking, a reputation and an expectation sat on the shoulders attached to his prized left arm.
But Huard’s transfer fits with the larger trend.
Indeed, the redshirt sophomore — who announced Tuesday he’ll enter the transfer portal — is one of 13 quarterbacks ranked as a five-star recruit by the 247Sports Composite between the 2018 and 2021 classes. And of those 13 celebrated slingers, eight have since searched for a second home.
247Sports five-star quarterbacks (2018 to 2021 classes)
2018
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
Justin Fields, Georgia (transferred to Ohio State)
JT Daniels, USC (transferred to Georgia, West Virginia and Rice)
2019
Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma (transferred to South Carolina)
Bo Nix, Auburn (transferred to Oregon)
2020
Bryce Young, Alabama
DJ Uiagalelei, Clemson (transferred to Oregon State)
2021
Quinn Ewers, Ohio State (transferred to Texas)
Caleb Williams, Oklahoma (transferred to USC)
Sam Huard, Washington (has entered transfer portal)
Brock Vandagriff, Georgia
JJ McCarthy, Michigan
Kyle McCord, Ohio State
That list includes Heisman Trophy winners Trevor Lawrence, Bryce Young and Caleb Williams, a top draft pick in Justin Fields … and a graveyard filled with failed marriages.
Which doesn’t mean Huard — or Uiagalelei — are destined for perpetual disappointment. Fields, Williams, Rattler and Nix have each found a measure of success at their second stops. But it does reveal an unfortunate fact surrounding the ongoing quarterback carousel: whether via the transfer portal or the high school ranks, signal callers are constantly coming to take your job.
If you’re not good enough, you’ll be gone.
But Huard’s trend extends even further. The Bellevue product is also one of nine Washington quarterbacks to earn a four- or five-star ranking since 2010.
And of those blue-chip bombers, only one — Boise State’s Brett Rypien — consistently starred at the school where he signed.
Blue-chip Washington quarterbacks since 2010
2010
Jake Heaps, Skyline, four stars, BYU (transferred to Kansas)
2012
Jeff Lindquist, Mercer Island, four stars, UW (converted to tight end)
2013
Max Browne, Skyline, five stars, USC (transferred to Pittsburgh)
2015
Brett Rypien, Shadle Park, four stars, Boise State
2016
Jacob Eason, Lake Stevens, five stars, Georgia (transferred to UW)
2018
Jacob Sirmon, Bothell, four stars, UW (transferred to Central Michigan and Northern Colorado)
2019
Dylan Morris, Graham-Kapowsin, four stars, UW
2021
Sam Huard, Kennedy Catholic, five stars, UW (entering transfer portal)
2023
Gabarri Johnson, Lincoln, four stars, Missouri
One lesson? It isn’t easy to evaluate.
But that’s what these Huskies have to do.
With just two scholarship signal callers entering the spring — sixth-year senior Michael Penix Jr. and fifth-year junior Dylan Morris — UW coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb must add at least one more, either via the transfer portal or the high school/JUCO ranks.
Unfortunately, the timing of Huard’s portal plunge — as well as four-star Lincoln Kienholz’s December flip from UW to Ohio State — leaves the Huskies with limited options. Of 247Sports’ top 100 quarterbacks in the 2023 class, 91 have already signed with other schools.
(The exceptions include three-star California quarterbacks Evan Tomich and Xavier Rice, though UW doesn’t appear to be pursuing either.)
The transfer portal is a more likely avenue for additions … but even then, high-upside signal callers with multiple years of eligibility don’t grow on transfer trees.
“This is kind of late in the portal process,” Huard admitted Tuesday, speaking about his own impending recruitment. “A lot of quarterbacks have already gotten in the portal and found new spots. There’s definitely a lot of schools that already have their guy right now.”
But Washington — which closed the season with a No. 8 ranking, the nation’s top passing attack and an empty space under center in 2024 — has plenty to offer prospective passers.
Which made Huard’s decision more difficult.
“Yeah, there’s no doubt,” he said, when asked if he could have seen himself succeeding in UW’s offensive system. “Shoot, this offense led the country in passing. That’s a huge credit to Mike (Penix), but also to coach Grubb and his staff.
“That was, I think, the hardest part about it: I know that I’m in a great situation right now with great players around me and great coaches around me at UW — in one of the best offenses, if not the top offense, in the country. I feel like how much I grew from a football standpoint and knowledge of the game … [Grubb] really pushed me in all those areas. I definitely feel that I’m comfortable in this system and this is a great system for me. But at the same time, given the circumstances and where I’m at, the most important thing to me right now is to find an opportunity to compete to play, wherever that may be.”
So Huard will search for a place to play … while Washington searches for his replacement.
And, who knows? Maybe at the end of it all they’ll be back together again.
“Of course I mentioned the possibility of, ‘OK, if I don’t find a spot, would I have the possibility to come back?’ That’s just for further conversations down the road,” Huard said. “The best thing about it is, with (DeBoer and Grubb’s) support, they told me if I have any questions or if I need to talk about any situation to go ahead and talk to them about it. I think that just speaks to who they are as people, and not just as coaches. They care about all of us as players.
“Being able to have these conversations with them … of course they’re trying to tell me they want me to stay. But at the same time, they’re not going to keep me here if I don’t want to be here or if I don’t feel this is where I need to be right now, which I’m very grateful for.”