Almost as soon as Tommy Stevens entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal, many assumed a reunion between the now former Penn State quarterback and ex-Nittany Lions offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead was a strong possibility.
Now we have confirmation: Stevens is indeed headed to Mississippi State as a grad transfer with one final year of eligibility in 2019.
Hail State! 🐶 pic.twitter.com/5sftwixC57
— Tommy Stevens (@TMS_II) May 17, 2019
The comfort factor that Stevens has with Moorhead, now the head coach of the Bulldogs, from their time together in Happy Valley no doubt played a big role in landing in Starkville. The senior was expected to take over for Trace McSorley as the starter at PSU but the multi-purpose threat will now aim to replace Nick Fitzgerald.
Stevens, who also saw some time at receiver due to this athleticism, had 118 yards and two touchdowns rushing last season while throwing for a touchdown and an interception as the Nittany Lions top backup under center. He also took visits to Kentucky, Illinois and Miami (Ohio) before ultimately deciding on MSU.
The move sets up a rather interesting quarterback competition for Moorhead this fall with Stevens and, primarily, Keytaon Thompson. The latter has by far the most experience of anybody on the roster, playing in 16 games with the Bulldogs while throwing for eight touchdowns against three interceptions. Both players are of the dual-threat variety and will also try to fend off freshman Jalen Mayden and Garrett Shrader for the starting gig in August.