Michigan, Louisville QBs transferring to ETSU

For the second year in a row, the East Tennessee State football team is getting a couple of Power 4 conference transfers. Michigan quarterback Jadyn Davis committed to ETSU, one year after Cade McNamara transferred to the Bucs. The Bucs also picked up former Louisville quarterback Mason Mims. They will join a quarterback room that includes McNamara's younger brother, Jake, and Jackson Byrd. The Bucs are trying to get another year of eligibility for former North Carolina quarterback Jacolby Criswell, who started at the end of last season. "We're hopeful to get Jacolby the waiver, but knew that wouldn't happen before school started," Healy said. "We have to be prepared and do what's best for our football program. These guys know who played, who's coming back. They're coming in to be the guy." Davis, an Academic All-Big Ten Honoree, saw limited action at Michigan. The North Carolina Mr. Football in 2022 and 2023, he enrolled early at Ann Arbor. The 6-foot-1 signal caller appeared in one game against Northwestern as a freshman, and later participated in practices to help the Wolverines prepare for the Rose Bowl and National Championship game. As a sophomore last season, Davis played in games against Central Michigan, Southern Cal and Maryland. He had just two pass attempts as a backup to Bryce Underwood. Healy became aware of Davis when he played at Catawba Ridge High School in Fort Mill, S.C., and later at Providence Day School in Charlotte. A two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in North Carolina, he passed for over 7,000 yards and 86 touchdowns his two seasons at Providence Day. Davis, who visited BYU a week before coming to Johnson City, was rated a four-star prospect by Rivals.com and the No. 1 high school player in the state of North Carolina. He was named an All-American by MaxPreps in 2023. "Everybody across the country knew his talent," Healy said. "When you get a chance to be around him, he's an exceptional young man with a great personality. He wants to compete, wants to play. It's a massive get for us." Mims, a 6-3 right-handed quarterback, passed for 8,405 yards and 89 touchdowns during his high school career at Oxford (Ala.) High School. He was rated a three-star prospect by Rivals. Officially a sophomore, he has four years of eligibility left. "He's got a lot of football ahead of him," Healy said. "Coming from Louisville, it's a program with a great track record of developing quarterbacks. For us to be able to get both of them, it's a big deal. The more competitiveness we can have at quarterback is better for our football team." This comes on the heels of the news that Sam Browder had transferred from Memphis in December to join his brother, Charlie, at ETSU. The Bucs successfully lobbied to get another year of eligibility for Charlie Browder, the tight end from Kingsport who previously played at Central Florida and Tennessee. Sam Browder, a 6-foot-6, 285-pound offensive lineman, redshirted at Memphis. He played in high school at Christ School in Arden, N.C., and was rated a three-star recruit by 247 Sports.