Dequan Finn injury: Baylor QB applying for medical waiver to return to college

Baylor Bears quarterback Dequan Finn may not be done with college football after all. He’s applying for a medical hardship waiver with the intention of returning for another season, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.

“Baylor QB Dequan Finn is applying for a medical hardship waiver with the intention of returning to college for another season, a source tells @CBSSports / @247Sports,” Zenitz reported. “Opened last year as Baylor’s starter but was limited to three games due to injury. Was the 2023 MAC MVP at Toledo.”

As Zenitz alluded to, Finn transferred to Baylor this offseason after a standout 2023 campaign at Toledo. In his three games with the Bears, the quarterback amassed 307 passing yards and three passing touchdowns, while also adding on 66 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Prior, Finn led the Rockets to the MAC Championship Game in 2023, where Toledo fell to Miami (OH) in a heated battle. Over the course of the 2023 season, he amassed 2,657 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Moreover, Finn also added 563 rushing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns on 123 carries while with the Rockets in 2023. In five seasons at Toledo, Finn accounted for 88 total touchdowns. At the time of his transfer, Finn was the No. 13 quarterback available in the transfer portal, according to On3’s Transfer Portal Player Rankings.

Continuing, Finn’s main competition for the QB1 title was redshirt junior Sawyer Robertson, who made four starts for the Bears last season. When he made the decision, Baylor head coach Dave Aranda revealed how tight the battle for the starting spot was.

“It’s a close competition; guys are battling,” Aranda stated. “The things that Sawyer [Robertson] did were the leadership and the poise (he showed) in the pocket. There are times when Sawyer’s back there and there’s a nervous energy about him.

“He was really calm and poised and made some throws where he stepped into it; it was impressive. [Finn] was able to see edge pressure and get us out of it and get us into something else, and that was good to see him do that.”

In the end, it was Robertson who led Baylor to an 8-4 record throughout the season, and it remains to be seen if the Bears stick with him at quarterback, or if Dequan Finn is able to return and get his starting job back at Baylor.

On3’s Grant Grubbs contributed to this article.