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Pete ThamelESPN
Miami quarterback Jake Garcia officially entered the NCAA transfer portal on Tuesday night. He informed the Hurricanes coaching staff of his intentions earlier in the day, and his decision came one day before the deadline to enter the portal.
Garcia is a former Top 25 recruit in the Class of 2021, per the ESPN 300. He’d originally committed to USC before flipping to Miami in December 2020. He redshirted his freshman year, which means he’ll have three seasons of eligibility at his next school and be immediately eligible.
According to a source, Garcia is looking to enroll somewhere immediately and play spring ball to learn a system and compete for the starting job.
The portal deadline is only for entry, so as long as athletes are in by Wednesday, they can make a decision at any time.
Garcia started one game for the Hurricanes this season, a 14-12 four-overtime victory at Virginia. Garcia finished 15-for-31 for 125 yards in that game. For the season, he completed 59.1% of his passes in eight games, throwing five touchdown passes and four interceptions.
He played just one game during his first season on campus in 2021, throwing for two touchdowns in a 69-0 win over Central Connecticut State.
Garcia’s career has been an odyssey, as he attended five high schools in four years. His career included at stop in his native California at Long Beach Poly, where he backed up future Ole Miss star Matt Corral. He transferred to Narbonne (California) High School and starred there for two seasons before finishing his career in Georgia so he could play his senior season during the COVID-19-altered season of 2020.