MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia quarterback Jack Allison will have a new home next season after entering the transfer portal, coach Neal Brown announced Tuesday.
Allison is expected to graduate in December, so he would be eligible to play immediately wherever he decided to play.
Allison originally transferred to WVU from Miami in 2017, and was the Mountaineers’ backup quarterback last season behind Will Grier. He got the start in the Camping World Bowl against Syracuse after Grier decided to sit out, and had a rough performance with 277 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.
Allison lost out to Austin Kendall during a position battle in camp and was regulated to backup. Allison came into the game against Missouri to replace Austin Kendall when the game got out of hand, but threw a pick-6.
When Kendall got hurt in the first quarter against Iowa State, Allison played well in the first half but struggled in the second. He finished with 140 yards, a touchdown and interception.
With Bowling Green transfer Jarret Doege able to play the last four games and still maintain his redshirt, Allison may have seen the writing on the wall. Trey Lowe also got snaps against Oklahoma the week after Allison’s appearance against Iowa State.
Brown said he doesn’t want to give away a game plan for Saturday against Texas Tech, but Lowe and Doege could see snaps.
Sophomore receiver Ricky Johns also entered the transfer portal, Brown announced. Johns saw limited action as a redshirt freshman in 2018, playing in three games. Originally a 3-star safety/wide receiver out of high school, he did not catch a pass in his career.
Injuries continue to pile up, too, with linebacker Quondarius Qualls out for the season following surgery. Sean Ryan was hurt against Texas in early October and remains out, but Brown said he’s getting close to returning. Wide receiver T.J. Simmons is doubtful after he hurt himself at Baylor last week.
Linebacker Josh Chandler, kicker Evan Staley, offensive lineman Chase Behrndt, running back Kennedy McKoy and safety Noah Guzman are all questionable. Tight end Jovani Haskins, who didn’t travel to Baylor with a muscle injury, should be back vs. Texas Tech.
With McKoy questionable, Brown said true freshman Tony Mathis will probably play against the Red Raiders with his redshirt readily available.
