Louisville quarterback Harrison Bailey announces plans to enter NCAA Transfer Portal

Louisville quarterback Harrison Bailey has announced plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal in a social media post Friday afternoon. Bailey, a former four-star Tennessee signee and UNLV transfer, will have one season of eligibility remaining after serving as Cardinals QB Tyler Shough‘s backup this past season.

“I plan to enter the transfer portal to use my final year of eligibility,” Bailey wrote in a Friday afternoon post on X/Twitter. “I want to thank the University of Louisville, my coaches, teammates, the city and everyone at the university for all the support and memories. I am very grateful for my time in Louisville. #GodBless”

I plan to enter the transfer portal to use my final year of eligibility. I want to thank the University of Louisville, my coaches, teammates, the city and everyone at the university for all the support and memories. I am very grateful for my time in Louisville . #GodBless pic.twitter.com/c2nOyNI7iq

— Harrison Bailey (@HBailey_05) January 3, 2025

Bailey was a four-star recruit, and the No. 4-ranked quarterback in the 2020 class out of Marietta (Georgia) High, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He was also slotted as the No. 8 player in the state of Georgia and the No. 66 overall prospect in the class before joining the Volunteers as a freshman in the fall of 2020.

Bailey appeared in just six total games over his two seasons in Louisville, including five games in 2024, completing 24-of-33 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns in mostly mop-up duty this season. Prior to landing with the Cardinals, Bailey participated in six games for UNLV in 2022, completing 30-of-58 passes for 318 yards and two touchdowns to one interception.

Bailey’s best season was arguably his first at Tennessee, where the then-true freshman appeared in six games with three starts, going 1-2 as the 2020 Volunteers’ QB1 in what was Jeremy Pruitt’s final season in Knoxville. Bailey threw for 578 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions on 48-of-68 passing in 2020.

Jeff Brohm addresses Louisville’s backup QB behind Tyler Shough

Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm brought in veteran quarterback Tyler Shough to lead the Cardinals’ offense last offseason. Brohm later shared that Pierce Clarkson is in line to be the backup quarterback. However, he also emphasized that it’s an open competition and things can change.

“I wouldn’t say clear cut,” Jeff Brohm said. “Right now, Pierce Clarkson would be the next guy in. Harrison Bailey and Brady Allen would be right there. There will always be competition for that. There will always be competition for the starting spot.”

While praising Shough’s experience, Brohm acknowledged Bailey’s potential and took blame for a less-than-encouraging performance in Louisville’s Spring game.

“Harrison Bailey is a transfer we took that has shown really good things that — in the spring game I didn’t give him a whole lot of opportunity to throw up the field a whole lot. That was my fault, but he’s had a good spring and a good summer,” Brohm said. “I think he can play effective football if we ask him to. He’s not extremely mobile of a quarterback but he can throw the football and he knows our system.”

Dan Morrison contributed to this report.