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Pete ThamelESPN
Quarterback Kedon Slovis is transferring to BYU, he announced Saturday.
Slovis, who played at Pitt last year, is one of the most accomplished collegiate quarterbacks in the NCAA transfer portal, as he has thrown for 9,973 yards over four seasons. It will be Slovis’ third collegiate destination and third different league, as he played at USC in the Pac-12 (2019-21) and with the Panthers in the ACC (2022).
Slovis tweeted thanks to Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi and said he’s “excited for this new chapter and can’t wait to get to work.”
I will always be grateful for Coach Narduzzi and the time I got to spend with all of my teammates at the University of Pittsburgh.
I’m excited for this new chapter and can’t wait to get to work. #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/yg0Sa4rXP6— Kedon Slovis (@Kedonslovis) December 24, 2022
He’ll compete to win the starting job at BYU for the program’s first season in the Big 12, which BYU joins after being an independent since 2011. Slovis has one year of eligibility remaining.
In his three seasons at USC, Slovis completed 70% of his passes. His best season came there in 2019 when he won the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year. He threw 30 touchdown passes and nine interceptions that season while completing 71.9% of his passes.
Sources told ESPN that level of accuracy appealed to the BYU staff, which has developed both Zach Wilson and Jaren Hall into NFL prospects. BYU has averaged more than 31 points per game the past three seasons, as coach Kalani Sitake has leaned into the program’s wide-open-passing roots.
Since 2020, when Wilson blew up to become the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the lowest passing output for a BYU starting quarterback has been Hall’s 2,583 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2021.
With Slovis having just one year of eligibility remaining, he stressed fit and system in his search for his final collegiate home.
Last year at Pittsburgh, he had his worst statistical year of his career. He completed just 58.4% of his passes and threw 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions, as the transfer of Jordan Addison to USC late in the spring downgraded Pitt’s aerial ambitions.
BYU traditionally has stout offensive lines, elite tight ends and strong skill players. The arrival of Slovis indicates a commitment to a wide-open system that should be attractive to both transfers and recruits trying to find a team where they can put up big numbers.
After Slovis visited recently, sources said he took the initiative to get the phone numbers of the receivers to text them and build rapport.
The Cougars went 8-5 this season, a slip from back-to-back double-digit-win seasons in part because of a porous defense. BYU shook up its defensive staff in the offseason, hiring Weber State head coach Jay Hill, as a way to solidify the program as it heads to the Big 12.
BYU won four consecutive games to end the season in 2022. That included a 24-23 victory over SMU in the New Mexico Bowl and wins over Boise State and Stanford. They open the 2023 season with back-to-back home games against Sam Houston and Southern Utah.