Former Houston quarterback John O’Korn is reportedly considering Syracuse as a transfer destination.  The Orange, whohad a plethora of quarterback troubles last season, already have a crowded depth chart under center for the near future.
O’Korn was benched five games into this past season, and is now looking at four schools as a potential transfer: SU, Miami, Wisconsin, and Florida.  He was considering Texas as well, but the interest was not mutual.
The revolving door of Orange quarterbacks during the 2014 season finally stopped at AJ Long, a true freshman who was overly mediocre for the Orange.  Long battled with Austin Wilson and Mitch Kimble after starter Terrel Hunt was injured midway through the season.  However, Kimble intends to seek a transfer.
O’Korn will have to sit out a year as a penalty for transferring, which means he will become eligible in 2016, which would be Long’s junior year.  On top of the quarterbacks already on the roster, the Orange has a verbal commitment from Eric Dungey, a three star commit from Oregon.  National Signing Day is on Feb. 4.
O’Korn graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas, a high school that SU is all too familiar with.  The recruiting class of 2015 already has two lineman commitments from the south Florida high school, an area that former offensive coordinator George McDonald and current coordinator Tim Lester are very familiar with.
The last time the Orange played with a transfer was the start of the 2013 season.  Drew Allen left Oklahoma and took over the Orange’s starting job; but he was benched just two games into the season after poor performances against Penn State and Northwestern.  He completed 56 percent of his passes, with just two touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Getting O’Korn would probably mean promising the quarterback a starting job when he is eligible in two years.  This probably isn’t the best idea.  But, if Lester can get O’Korn to buy into the team without promising him the starting job, it would be a huge get for SU.  After Alin Edouard’s recent academic issues, the team’s quarterback pool remains overly mediocre.  If O’Korn could replicate his freshman year numbers (3,117 yards, 28 TD’s, and 10 picks), he could really help the Orange.
Posted: Jason Weingold
