Quarterback Charlie Brewer leaves Utah football program after three games

Utah Utes’ quarterback Charlie Brewer, a senior that transferred from Baylor after 2020, has left Utah’s program after three games.

“Charlie has decided to move on and we wish him the best,” Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said in a brief statement.

Brewer is coming off his worst game for Utah — and maybe the worst of his career — which resulted in a 33-31, three-overtime loss to San Diego State. Brewer went 14-of-26 for 104 yards with one interception, and was sacked three times for 18 yards. Brewer was benched for backup Cameron Rising, who threw for three touchdowns and 153 yards against San Diego State, willing Utah back into the game.

The senior quarterback held his own in Week 1, a game in which the Utes pulled off a 40-17 victory over Weber State, as he completed 19 of 27 passing attempts for 233 passing yards, two touchdowns and just one interception. However, in the next two games, Brewer looked like a shell of his previous four years at Baylor. He led Utah to its first loss to BYU since 2009, and the Utes ultimately started 1-2 after Brewer was pulled midway through Week 3.

Brewer ends his Utah career with a completion percentage of 60.8, throwing for just 484 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions, while being sacked six times.

Brewer transferred to Utah as a graduate student after four years with Baylor, with the Utes’ last starting quarterback — Jake Bentley — transferring to South Alabama. Brewer was eventually named the starter after preseason camp, as he beat out Rising for the job.

A former star at Texas power Lake Travis High School, Brewer was a three-star recruit coming into Baylor’s 2017 recruiting class. He received immediate playing time in Waco, and he became Baylor’s first four-year starter since JJ Joe did the same from 1990-1993. Brewer finished his Baylor career with a 63.5 completion percentage, 9,700 passing yards, 65 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. Additionally, Brewer — a threat on the ground — rushed for 1,039 yards and 22 touchdowns with the Bears.

Brewer left Baylor No. 2 all-time in career passing yards with nearly 10,000. He’s the second player in Baylor history to ever surpass 10,000 total yards, including both passing and rushing, and he helped Baylor complete a remarkable program turnaround in just four years. In Brewer’s freshman season, Matt Rhule’s first as head coach, Baylor went just 1-11; the next year, the Bears followed it up with a 7-6 record and a Texas Bowl win over Vanderbilt. Then, his junior year — Baylor’s most successful since the Art Briles era — saw Brewer lead Baylor to an 11-3 record and a Sugar Bowl loss, before ultimately declining to a 2-7 record in Dave Aranda’s first year at the helm.