PROVO, Utah (ABC4 Sports) – One day after Jaren Hall announced he is leaving for the NFL, BYU has found it new starting quarterback.
Former Pittsburgh and USC star Kedon Slovis announced he is transferring to BYU for his fifth and final season of college football.
Slovis gives the Cougars stability and experience at quarterback as it moves into the Big 12 Conference.
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
Slovis began his career at USC, where he completed 70% of his passes. His best season came in 2019 when he won the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year. That season, Slovis threw for 3,502 yards and 30 touchdown passes and nine interceptions while completing 71.9% of his passes.
In six games in the Covid-shortened 2020 season, Slovis threw for 1,921 yards and 17 touchdowns. But in 2021, Slovis struggled and was eventually replaced by former Corner Canyon High star Jaxson Dart.
Slovis then transferred to Pittsburgh for the 2022 season, where he had his worst statistical season. Slovis threw for 2,397 yards, 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Pitt won its first four games of the season, but lost four of its last seven.
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 was Hall’s 2,583 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2021.
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.
Quarterback Kedon Slovis transferring to BYU
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