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Former Utah QB Jason Shelley in line to be starter at Utah State

Former Utah QB Jason Shelley announced a week ago that he would be attending Utah State University, but now his biggest competition Henry Colombi has entered the transfer portal

When Jason Shelley elected to leave the Utah football program up north for Utah State, he knew that starting at quarterback wasn't going to be a guarantee. All he was looking for was a chance, a place where he could come in and compete and that's what he found at Utah State.

The Aggies were coming off a season where former starting quarterback Jordan Love was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the NFL draft. That left an opening as to who would be the signal-caller, and following the announcement of Shelley, a lot of people figured it was going to come down to him and Love's backup, Henry Colombi.

Well, it appears that Shelley is now the favorite to land the starting job as reports have surfaced that Colombi has entered the transfer. He was set to enter his junior season after seeing action sparingly last season in six games when he threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 31 rushing yards on 31 carries.

“(Henry) is an amazing kid and has great relationships with everyone on the team and I think that is an important thing for a quarterback,” Utah State wide receiver Taylor Compton told the Deseret News in May. “Jordan (Love) had that as well. We’ve had some great kids in the QB room who’ve really connected with their teammates and get along with everyone. That is no different with Henry.”

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With the addition of incoming grad transfer Jake Bentley and the eligibility of former Texas transfer Cam Rising — both of whom are expected to battle for the starting job this upcoming season — it appeared there was no room for Shelley and he announced his intention to transfer in February of this year.

“Thank you coaches for this opportunity to play for the University of Utah these last 3 seasons,” Shelley said in a tweet at the time. “I am very grateful for all my teammates/brothers that I have made throughout the years. Lastly, thank you Salt Lake City along with Ute Nation for all the great memories and experiences. However, I believe that God has a plan for everyone, and I am moving onto the new chapter in my life. Forever All Love.”

Shelley, despite seeing minimal action on the football field in a Utah uniform over the past three years, will always have a special place in the hearts of Ute fans everywhere.

It was on a Saturday night in late November two years ago and Utah, the No. 17 ranked team in the nation, found itself trailing hated-rival BYU 27-14 entering the fourth quarter.

Shelley, who had replaced injured starter Tyler Huntley two games prior, had brought Utah back and now held a 28-27 advantage with just under two minutes left in the fourth quarter. With the ball on BYU's 33-yard line on 1st-and-10, Shelley faked a handoff to Zack Moss, ran right and broke three tackles en route to the endzone and the win.

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