Former Southern Miss QB Jack Abraham explains why he transferred to Mississippi State
Former Southern Miss quarterback Jack Abraham has decided to transfer to Mississippi State for his final year of eligibility, he announced Friday.
Abraham told the Sun Herald on Friday night that he has signed with Mike Leach’s squad and plans to be on campus in Starkville for spring practice.
In choosing MSU, Abraham hopes he can follow Gardner Minshew’s success story under a Leach-coached offense.
Minshew left East Carolina for Washington State and an outstanding senior season under Leach led to a sixth-round selection in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“It really boils down to the coaching and this offensive system. In the air raid, I have a chance to be successful,” Abraham said. “It’s a big thing to go to a spot that will prepare me for the next level. It’s the best fit.”
Abraham entered the transfer portal on Nov. 20, and Leach offered him a scholarship approximately two weeks later. About 10 schools contacted the Oxford native after he announced plans to leave USM.
“I talked to Leach a few times and he said I do a lot of good things, that I fit really well in the offense,” Abraham said. “I’ll come in there and be able to compete in the spring. That’s all I can hope for at this point in my career. It’s an opportunity to play at the highest level.”
MSU has relied on freshman Will Rogers to close out the season as the starting quarterback. He has completed 71.1 percent of his passes for 1,533 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions.
Abraham was one of the nation’s more accurate passers at USM, leading all of FBS with a 73.1 completion percentage in his first season in 2018. He had a 69.3 completion percentage in his career for 7,067 yards, 41 touchdowns and 29 interceptions.
Abraham has had a different offensive coordinator each year since he wrapped up a standout prep career at Oxford High School and signed with Louisiana Tech. He transferred to Northwest Mississippi Community College after one year at La. Tech and landed at USM ahead of the 2018 season.
He’s confident he can make a quick adjustment to Leach’s offense.
“I’m obviously very used to it at this point,” he said. “I think there will be similar terminology that I’m used to. That’s how it’s been the past five years. It’s very similar to what I’ve been doing. I don’t think it’ll be too hard to pick up.
“I’m really excited. It’s an opportunity I’ve wanted to have for a long time. Since I played my first snap in high school, I’ve felt like I belonged at this level. It’s an opportunity to compete. It’s just an honor, and I look forward to it.”
Abraham’s exit at USM wasn’t without controversy.
He missed one game at Liberty on Oct. 24 after testing positive for COVID-19 and then suffered a concussion when he returned to action on Oct. 31 against Rice, forcing him to miss the Nov. 7 North Alabama game.
He was cleared to return in the middle of the week ahead of the Nov. 14 contest at Western Kentucky.
Instead of making the road trip to WKU, he decided on Nov. 12 it was best for his future to sit out the remainder of the season.
Abraham hoped to stay with the team and meet the next head coach, which turned out to be Tulane offensive coordinator Will Hall. But a member of the former USM staff informed him that he could no longer remain with the program.
Instead of talking with a new USM coach about returning for the 2021 season, Abraham decided it was best to transfer.
“It was tough, obviously,” Abraham said. “It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make in my entire life. I think the three years at Southern Miss were the three best years of my life. I was given an opportunity to play college football. I took it by the horns and worked my ass off. I went out there every day and took nothing for granted. I’m forever in debt to the fans, my teammates and the staff. It’s been a hell of a three years. It’s not really the way I wanted it to end. It’s been a crazy season. I feel like it was a decision I had to make, and I have full confidence in it.”
This story was originally published December 18, 2020 at 7:04 PM.
