It's official! Former Utah QB Jason Shelley now with Utah State
Jason 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.
Despite going 3-2 as a starter in those final five games, Huntley returned to take over the starter's role in 2019 and had the one of the best statistical seasons ever by a Utah quarterback.
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.”
It's now official as Shelley is heading north to suit up for the Utah State Aggies, a move that has both Aggie and Ute fans cheering.
Shelley, who was a three-star recruit out of Texas and ranked the 12th-best dual-threat quarterback in the nation by 247Sports in 2016, will be eligible immediately and have two years remaining.
He will join a big quarterback group with the Aggies, with five players vying for the opportunity to take over for Jordan Love, a first round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers this past spring.
Redshirt Henry Colombi, a 6-foot-2, 205-pounder from Hollywood, Florida, was expected to take over for Love this upcoming season. In six games last season, 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.”
Shelley, who checks in at 5-foot-11 and 200-pounds, finished with 1,428 yards of total offense for the Utes, including 1,205 passing yards in 19 games.
It should be quite the battle between Shelley and Colombi this fall, and one that Utah fans will want to check out.
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