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UW's Jacob Sirmon Enters Transfer Portal Second Time

Four-star quarterback couldn't land the starting job in three tries so he's left the program.
Dan Raley|
UW's Jacob Sirmon Enters Transfer Portal Second Time
UW's Jacob Sirmon Enters Transfer Portal Second Time

Jacob Sirmon, good sized and highly regarded, had plenty of chances to be the University of Washington starting quarterback.

One, two, even three opportunities.

It never worked out for him.

Sirmon, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound sophomore from Bothell, Washington, and a one-time 4-star recruit, has entered the NCAA transfer portal again, UW coach Jimmy Lake confirmed on Wednesday.

"He's decided to try to go play and start for another football team," said the coach, who complimented Sirmon's actions in lieu of getting stuck well down the depth chart. "He handled it well."

This is Sirmon's second time in the transfer portal. He entered and withdrew from it in the spring of 2019. 

Twenty months later, he's taken this route for good.

It's unclear where he might end up, though a Division I program isn't out of the question. Yet players in his situation tend to move down to ensure playing time, to a league such as the Big Sky. His father, David, is a UW business school professor who played as a linebacker at Montana. 

Sirmon probably picked the right day to leave -- at the same time, the Huskies announced they had a national letter of intent firmly in hand from 5-star quarterback Sam Huard from Seattle's Kennedy Catholic High.

Sirmon was part of the four-player Husky quarterback competition these past few months, ultimately coming in second or even third, depending on the evolving depth chart. 

The pro-style quarterback's mobility likely held him back with the installation of a new offense by offensive coordinator John Donovan that was better suited for a dual-threat player. 

Redshirt freshman Dylan Morris won the job and started the four games the Huskies have been able to play during the pandemic.

Sources said graduate transfer Kevin Thomson actually earned the starting job first before he became injured prior to the opener against Oregon State and gave way to Morris.

Also in the mix is highly regarded freshman recruit Ethan Garbers, a California-produced QB who is redshirting.

Sirmon made just one appearance this season, mopping up in the UW's 44-27 victory over Arizona. He threw one pass, completing it for nine yards, and rushed the ball twice for five yards.

He redshirted during Jake Browning's final season at the UW quarterback in 2018. He backed up Jacob Eason last season, appearing late in five games and completing 2 of 3 passes.

The Bothell High School product came to Washington with heady credentials, entertaining offers from Michigan, Nebraska, Washington State and many others.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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