Former Mizzou quarterback announces commitment to Big Ten team
The Big Ten is getting an influx of SEC talent, as Missouri quarterback Connor Bazelak is coming to the conference. On Thursday, Bazelak announced he was committing to join the Indiana Hoosiers.
Indiana had a hole at the quarterback position when former quarterback Michael Penix announced he was transferring to Washington. Now, their gap has been filled by a former SEC quarterback.
Bazelak spent three seasons at Missouri. Throughout his time as their quarterback, he accumulated 5,058 yards and 23 touchdowns. Additionally, he added two rushing touchdowns to his statistics.
Last season, Bazelak proved he could hold his own with his most productive season with the Tigers. In 2021, the former Missouri quarterback passed for 2,548 yards and 16 touchdowns. Now, he’ll look to improve upon his numbers at Indiana.
In an announcement on social media from right before Christmas, Bazelak announced he was leaving the Missouri program.
“This has been a tough decision that I have been thinking about for the last several weeks, but I wanted to be available for my team one last time in the bowl game,” wrote Bazelak. “After much prayer and discussion with my family, I have decided to enter the transfer portal to continue my academic and athletic career. Thank you again, Mizzou!”
Missouri took on Army in the Lockhead Martin Armed Forces Bowl, a game where the Tigers fell to Army by a score of 24-22. However, Bazelak didn’t play in the game — the Tigers giving quarterback Brady Cook the full allotment of snaps.
After a disappointing 2-10 season, both Connor Bazelak and the Hoosiers will be looking to improve in 2022. Perhaps Indiana can recapture the magic that made them one of the biggest surprises of the 2020 season.
More on Connor Bazelak, Missouri Tigers QB situation
With Connor Bazelak leaving the program, the aforementioned Brady Cook may be the Tigers best option at quarterback. However, one of the biggest quarterback transfer names is still on the market — Casey Thompson. The former Texas Longhorn is taking his time making a decision after entering the portal on Dec. 17.
Thompson’s father, Charles, told Mitch Sherman of The Athletic, that the quarterback is down to five schools. Auburn, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma are still in the running for the former Texas man. According to Max Olson, Thompson was in Lincoln on Wednesday, visiting the Cornhuskers.
All five schools still in the race have all seen quarterbacks transfer out of their program this offseason. The Sooners have seen two in Spencer Rattler and Caleb Williams, while UCF’s Dillon Gabriel flipped from UCLA to new head coach Brent Venables.
Thompson is making his second go-round in the transfer portal, entering after the 2018 season as well. However, when former Texas quarterback Cam Rising was picked up by Utah, Thompson decided to stay in Austin and backup Sam Ehlinger.