Star junior quarterback Brett Gabbert to transfer from Miami

Last Wednesday, Nov. 23, star junior Miami quarterback Brett Gabbert revealed that he would be entering the transfer portal in an announcement posted to twitter.

“To my teammates, it’s been an honor to step into the arena with you,” Gabbert wrote in the tweet. “Our bonds will last a lifetime. To my coaches, thank you for believing in me when not many did. Thank you for trusting me to lead the team as a true freshman. And most importantly, thank you for coaching me into the player and person I am today.”

Gabbert, who missed all but four of Miami’s games this season due to injury, amassed 6,259 passing yards in 30 career games with the RedHawks, enough to place him sixth all-time among Miami quarterbacks. His total of 45 career touchdowns is also sixth all-time for Miami. He only threw 14 interceptions in his RedHawk career.

Gabberts Miami career

In 2019, as a true freshman, Gabbert started all 14 of Miami’s games and led the RedHawks to their first Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship since 2010, beating Central Michigan 26-21 in the big game. He was named MAC Freshman of the Year after the season.

He played in two games during the COVID-shortened 2021 season and finished with 384 passing yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions.

In 2021, he had his best statistical season so far. In ten games, Gabbert amassed 2648 passing yards and 26 touchdown passes to only six interceptions. In a 35-33 loss to Ohio University, he threw for 492 yards, which is third in school history for a single game, and five touchdowns. Miami narrowly missed the MAC Championship game after a 48-47 overtime loss to Kent State to finish the season. If Gabbert’s two-point conversion pass in that overtime had been completed, Miami would have moved on to the MAC Championship. Less than a month later, he delivered eighth-year Head Coach Chuck Martin his first bowl victory, beating North Texas 27-14 in the inaugural Frisco Football Classic.

In 2022, Gabbert played in four games for Miami. He was 20/28 with 166 yards against No. 20 Kentucky in the first game of the year, before getting injured in the final minutes. He returned more than one month later and played three more games before being injured on the last play of the game in a 37-21 loss to Ohio. In all, he amassed 816 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.

I will always be a Redhawk.❤️ pic.twitter.com/6cHoWRww6H
— Brett Gabbert (@BrettGabbert) November 23, 2022

What’s next?

Gabbert will be able to officially add his name to the transfer portal on Dec. 5, when the transfer window opens. Then, he can choose his new school whenever he wants. It’s likely he will have his new team picked out before spring practices start, which is usually late February or early March.

For Miami, this means that redshirt first-year Aveon Smith will likely be the man under center for the foreseeable future.

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Smith, who led Miami to a win over Northwestern earlier this year, has had an up and down season in his first extended game action since his senior year of high school, over two years ago. He finished the regular season 93/192 passing with 1137 yards, 9 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. He also contributed 556 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.

He will have a chance to get RedHawk fans excited for the future when Miami plays Alabama-Birmingham in the Bahamas Bowl on Dec. 16 at 11:30 a.m.

Gabbert is expected to attract interest from multiple power five programs. He already has parts of four seasons under his belt as a starter. His brother Blaine, who played at Missouri before being drafted to the NFL in the first round in 2011, is currently a backup quarterback for Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Early buzz on social media indicates that Missouri, Kentucky and Iowa could be teams to watch in the Brett Gabbert sweepstakes.

@jackschmelznger

schmelj2@miamioh.edu