Cade Fortin, former UNC quarterback, pulled in first start at USF

Former North Carolina quarterback Cade Fortin, who transferred to USF, was pulled in his first-carer start for the Bulls.

He finished his day completing 3-of-9 passes, while not racking up any passing yards or a touchdown. Fortin led the USF offense for four possessions, each of which ended with a punt. He was relieved at quarterback by three-star freshman Timmy McClain.

Fortin, a former three-star recruit, was named USF’s starting quarterback on Aug. 23.

Fortin originally committed to the UNC out of high school in 2017. He proceeded to play one full season for the Tar Heels, appearing in four games and starting two, before redshirting in 2018. Now a sophomore, Fortin entered the transfer portal at the beginning of his redshirt freshman season.

Fortin completed 32 of 65 passing attempts while at UNC, throwing for 388 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

Fortin and USF matched up against N.C. State on Thursday, a team with which Fortin is familiar with. One of his two starts at UNC came against the Wolfpack, with the other against Virginia Tech. He completed 19 of 40 passes in a home game against N.C. State in 2018 — a 47.5 completion percentage — and threw for a total of 276 yards, one touchdown and one interception. UNC lost 34-28 in overtime, marking the Tar Heels’ third-consecutive loss to their in-state rivals. His latest contest against N.C. State also ended poorly; he was pulled in the second quarter as USF trailed 17-0.

This season marks Fortin’s second with the USF Bulls. Last season, he saw action in just two games but was largely limited by injuries and COVID-19-related absences. USF struggled last season, finishing with a 1-8 overall record and 0-7 conference record. The quarterback position was no exception, as USF filtered through four quarterbacks in Fortin, sophomore Jordan McCloud, fifth-year senior Noah Johnson and freshman Katravis Marsh.

Prior to the Aug. 23 announcement, Fortin was competing with McClain, sophomore Jarren Williams and Marsh, a returning sophomore.

USF’s coaching staff saw significant progressions from Fortin in both spring and fall practices, according to reports. In the USF spring game, Fortin was 14 of 23, good for 224 passing yards and two touchdowns. The highlight of the scrimmage for Fortin was a 50-yard toss to junior wide receiver Xavier Weaver on the first play from scrimmage.

“Cade just picked up right where he left off,” second-year coach Jeff Scott told the Tampa Bay Times on Aug. 10. “He’s had an outstanding fall camp.”

Fortin was listed as a top-25 quarterback in the country by most outlets while at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. Although he missed most of his senior season due to injury, the 6-foot-3, 221-pound pro-style quarterback had an impressive season as a junior in high school, throwing for 1,841 yards and 16 touchdowns while running for 512 yards and three touchdowns en route to a state championship victory.