UCLA Transfer Collin Schlee Named as Backup Quarterback for Virginia Tech

Schlee won the quarterback competition against Pop Watson.

Dec 16, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Collin Schlee (9) heads to the endzone against Boise State Broncos safety Seyi Oladipo (23) in the third quarter of the Starco Brands LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports | Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

There has been an ongoing competition for the backup quarterback slot for the Virginia Tech Hokies. In the process, Brent Key has praised both Pop Watson and Collin Schlee, Watson for his agility and arm talent, and Schlee for his knowledge of the game, among other talents.

Even though Pop Watson has been dealing with injuries, it seemed as though he was the favorite to be the backup. Before Schlee transferred in, Watson was already in a battle with Dylan Wittke and seemed to fairly easily outperform his competition. Pop showed his athleticism in the spring game, and has a true All-Conference ceiling. He's an interesting player in the pocket, as he often escapes pressure, but chooses to re-set his feet and throwing it downfield rather than immediately tuck it and run. Pop has huge potential at the quarterback position, and has instincts of a quarterback much more experienced than himself.

Collin Schlee is an interesting quarterback as well, and it makes sense why Brent Pry named Schlee the backup over Watson. When asked about if Pry had named a backup, he had this to say:

" We have. It's Collin Schlee. What went into that decision was performance-based. Not that we're disappointed in Pop; he's done some good things and improved. He had a minor injury setback, but Collin has been very impressive, particularly not being with us as much this summer. He's a good student of the game, has a nice arm, and is athletic. He can run our offense, so it's more a compliment to Collin than a knock on Pop."

Schlee is certainly the more experienced option. Collin played at Kent State for four years before transferring to UCLA before last season, and now landing at Virginia Tech. A lot of the quarterbacks in this room, Schlee, Drones, and Watson included are all very similar. Schlee falls under the apron of a big athletic quarterback who can break tackles and find first downs, comparable to Drones, but is fairly bigger than Watson.

Schlee is listed at 6-foot-3 on the Virginia Tech Athletics website, four inches taller than Watson. In Schlee's collegiate career hes accumulated 2,677 passing yards and 1,126 rushing yards. Schlee could truly start at over half of the FBS programs at quarterback, it's very important to have a reliable veteran if a backup quarterback is ever to be needed.