Former Texas football QB Casey Thompson enters the portal again

For the second time in as many offseasons, former Texas football starting quarterback Casey Thompson has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. Max Olson of The Athletic reported on April 28 that Thompson is entering the transfer portal after spending one season with the Nebraska Cornhuskers as its starting quarterback.

Thompson reportedly entered the transfer portal after missing spring ball for Nebraska as he was recovering from a shoulder injury. He fell behind former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets transfer quarterback Jeff Sims in the battle for the starting job since he couldn’t compete in spring camp.

It sounds like Thompson will now be looking to utilize the final year of his collegiate eligibility to potentially land a starting job at another Power Five school.

One potential option out of the portal that Olson mentioned in a tweet on the morning of April 28 was the Auburn Tigers.

Ex-Texas football QB Casey Thompson in the portal for the second time in the last two offseasons

In fact, Auburn might be the early favorite among the potential landing spots for Thompson this offseason. Auburn is looking to find an answer at the quarterback position, as it currently looks like a three-man race at the moment to land the starting job.

Sophomore Robby Ashford, junior TJ Finley, and redshirt freshman Holden Geriner compete for the starting job for the Tigers in spring ball. All indications point to that quarterback competition carrying into fall camp. That is unless Auburn finds another option at the quarterback position, such as Thompson, in the portal post-spring ball.

Thompson has more starting experience than any of the three quarterbacks competing for the QB1 job at Auburn this offseason.

Moreover, this is Thompson’s second time in the transfer portal in the last 15 months. He left Texas via the portal last offseason, eventually committing to former Nebraska head coach Scott Frost and the Huskers.

After Nebraska posted a 1-2 record to start last season, Frost was let go after spending a little less than five full years in Lincoln. Thompson was the starting quarterback for the rest of the season, despite Frost being ousted after the third game, under interim head coach Mickey Joseph.

Although, Thompson entered the portal a few months after Nebraska announced its next full-time head coaching hire this offseason, former Baylor and Temple head coach Matt Rhule.

Thompson started in 20 games during his time at Texas and Nebraska over the course of four seasons. During his one season at Nebraska in 2022, Thompson registered a career-high 2,407 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions, -22 rushing yards, and five rushing scores.

During his four years at Texas (three of which he received live-game snaps), Thompson registered 2,422 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions, 210 rushing yards, and five rushing touchdowns. Thompson’s most productive season during his time on the 40 came during the 2021 campaign, when he started 10 of 12 games he played for Texas.

A couple of potential landing spots for Thompson in the portal that were mentioned in a piece by Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports on April 28 are the Florida Gators and Auburn.