Former 4-Star quarterback signs with third college football program

The NCAA transfer portal offers an opportunity for a fresh start, exactly what some players across the country need.

Signing blue-chip recruits has proven to be the most effective method for college programs to contend for national championships. However, not every highly-regarded prospect ends up reaching their ceiling.

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When they don't, that's where the portal comes into play. Plenty of quarterbacks with high expectations coming out of high school have hit the open market this offseason with the hope that a new school will finally help them unlock their talents.

On Tuesday, former UCF and Miami quarterback Jacurri Brown signed with Rice, per On3's Pete Nakos. Brown will spend the final season of his college career at his third different school.

Rice was searching for a new starting quarterback after Chase Jenkins entered the transfer portal. The Owls circled in on Brown, who will likely lead the offense in head coach Scott Abell's second season on the job. The program finished 5-8 in 2025.

Brown was at UCF for the last two seasons. In his first year with the program, he appeared in 9 games and made 2 starts, completing 35 of 67 passes for 398 yards with four touchdowns to one interception. Brown added 53 rushes for 401 yards and four more scores.

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In 2025, Brown was relegated to a reserve role after former head coach Gus Malzahn departed for Florida State. Malzahn was replaced by Scott Frost, who relied on Tayven Jackson and Cam Fancher to man the quarterback position. Brown only appeared in 3 games. He completed 3 of 5 passes for 97 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He rushed 16 times for 142 yards and 2 more scores.

Brown began his college career at Miami, signing with the Hurricanes as a four-star prospect in the 2022 class. He participated in the Elite 11 Finals and Polynesian Bowl.

The Georgia native was never able to consistently break into the Hurricanes' lineup. He saw action in 9 games over two seasons, including just one appearance in 2023.

In four years at the college level, Brown has appeared in 21 games and made 5 starts. He's completed 85/148 passes for 906 yards with 6 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. Brown has added 137 rushes for 821 yards and 8 more scores.

Brown totaled over 9,600 total yards and 106 touchdowns during his prep career at Lowndes High School.

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