Former Texas starting quarterback Hudson Card has entered the transfer portal, according to ESPN. Card will enter his next stop as a redshirt junior, but has up to three years of eligibility remaining thanks to the NCAA-granted pandemic waiver.
Card surprisingly earned the starting quarterback job at Texas as a redshirt freshman over Casey Thompson in Steve Sarkisian's first season. He started the Longhorns' first two games against Louisiana and Arkansas, but was benched after throwing for just 61 yards in a loss to the Razorbacks. Thompson started the remainder of the 5-7 season.
The Austin, Texas, native competed with Ohio State transfer Quinn Ewers for the starting job in 2022, but ultimately lost the position to the former No. 1 overall recruit. Card was thrust back into starting action against UTSA, Texas Tech and West Virginia after Ewers suffered a shoulder injury and completed 70% of his passes for 741 yards, six touchdowns and one interceptions in three starts. He posted a 2-1 record as a starter.
Prior to Texas, Card was a highly-touted quarterback recruit in the Class of 2020. Card rated as the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback -- behind only Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young. He was the No. 59 player in the nation overall and one of the biggest Austin recruiting wins in years for Texas.
Card's departure leaves Ewers as the only quarterback on the roster who has thrown a collegiate pass. Texas also has former blue-chip recruit Maalik Murphy and will add No. 1 recruit Arch Manning in 2023.
Brutal career
Card was a massive get for Tom Herman's staff in the Class of 2020, but his career went off the rails when Sarkisian came to campus. Despite winning the starting job over an upperclassman Thompson, Sarkisian quickly pulled the plug on Card and gave him few opportunities for on-field development in 2021.
The next year, Texas recruited over the talented Card with Ewers. The redshirt freshman won the job out of camp, but posted worse numbers than Card across the board. Ewers cleared 200 yards passing only once over his final six games, but the older Card never got an opportunity. Now, Card's career at the state's flagship program is over.
Many opportunities
Card was the first commitment for Texas in the Class of 2020, so his recruiting process shut down early. However, his lofty high school evaluation should still keep teams interested. His top recruiter at Texas was Tim Beck, who is now the offensive coordinator at NC State. The Wolfpack will likely lose quarterback Devin Leary to the NFL. Herman also remains on the coaching market. If he lands at a Power Five job as a coach or coordinator, keep an eye out.
There are also numerous programs around Texas that should take interest in his services. SMU and TCU will likely lose Tanner Mordecai and Max Duggan respectively to the NFL. Texas Tech had chaos at the position. North Texas, Houston or countless other nearby programs could benefit from Card. UTSA could get starting quarterback Frank Harris back for another season, but Card's high school offensive coordinator -- Will Stein -- now leads the Roadrunners' offense.
ESPN reports that Card's top priorities are "winning and finding a place that fits his skill set to continue to develop." As one of the top transfers on the market, expect that Card will have plenty of options.
