After two seasons with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Donovan Smith opted to leave for a new opportunity.
In his redshirt freshman season of 2021, Smith was a big reason that the Red Raiders were able to get bowl eligible following the firing of Matt Wells. That season he threw for 1,181 yards with seven touchdowns to just two interceptions. Smith was thrust into the starting job after Tyler Shough left the Texas game with an injury. Smith led Tech to the win over Iowa State that gave the Red Raiders bowl eligibility.
Last season he was once again the backup to Shough but took over following the injury. Smith had some big games early on but eventually would be replaced by Behren Morton before Shough took back over as the starter. Smith threw for 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Going into 2023, Smith is the guy for the Cougars. He remains in the Big 12 with the Cougars joining the conference. Smith will return to Lubbock on Sept. 30 when Houston takes on Texas Tech at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports broke down top transfer quarterbacks into four tiers. Former Texas Tech quarterback who heads to Houston was among the guys in tier four. Smith is looking to take that next step with the Cougars under former Mike Leach assistant, Dana Holgorsen.
The skills are off the charts for Smith, who provided an air of chaos while playing two seasons as a key reserve. He threw for just under 2,700 yards and 19 touchdowns in the past two seasons but traded it off with a number of interceptions and fumbles in key spots.
Now, Smith is joining quarterback guru Dana Holgorsen to help usher Houston into the Big 12. Holgorsen has done great work with quarterbacks and recently helped Clayton Tune develop into one of the nation’s top passers. With any luck, Smith can be his next great protégé.
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