BREAKING: Quarterback Matt Fink to enter the transfer portal

The quarterback battle has been a heavy topic through spring camp with Graham Harrell opening up the starting job. Now the competition comes down to just three. Per ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura, Redshirt junior Matt Fink has entered the NCAA transfer portal, late Wednesday afternoon.

Fink’s decision comes after the USC Trojans wrapped up spring camp last week. The redshirt junior along with freshman Kedon Slovis, sophomore JT Daniels, and redshirt sophomore Jack Sears competed for the open starting quarterback position. Head coach Clay Helton and the coaching staff’s plan was to give the quarterbacks an indication of where they stood in terms of the starting position, heading into summer and fall camp. Speculation is that Fink was not going to win the starting job. Fink will graduate in July and will be eligible to play immediately as a grad transfer.

While Fink intends to transfer, he hasn’t shut the door on a possible return to the Trojans, however he made it known that he’s looking to compete and win a starting job wherever he goes. During the first week of spring camp, redshirt sophomore cornerback Greg Johnson returned to the team following entering his name in the transfer portal just a week prior to camp.

Fink was a rated as a three-star quarterback in the 2016 recruiting class per the 247 Sports Composite. Fink was redshirted his freshman year. In 2017 he was a back up to Sam Darnold and saw action during mop up duty which included a 51 yard run against Oregon State. Last season Fink took more snaps, in four games for the Trojans. Two of those games he relieved an injured Daniels (Utah and Stanford). In the blowout loss against Utah, Fink led USC on two scoring drives, however the redshirt junior quarterback would sustain broken ribs following a hit late in the foutth quarter.

What does Fink’s transfer mean for the quarterback position? USC is now down to three scholarship quarterbacks in Daniels, Sears, and Slovis. It could put the Trojans in a hairy situation if injuries become a factor like last season.

It’ll also mean the quarterback battle is down to three, however it’s possible that Slovis is an early candidate for a redshirt, which means it may come down to Daniels or Sears.