Ad Disclosure
MJ Rivers planning to leave Illinois, enters name in NCAA transfer portal
Published:
Another B1G quarterback has entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal.
On Saturday night, Illinois quarterback MJ Rivers announced via Twitter that he has entered his name in the transfer portal and will explore options outside of Champaign. He becomes the latest in a slew of B1G quarterbacks looking to leave their current programs, including Tommy Stevens (Penn State), Brandon Peters (Michigan), Matthew Baldwin (Ohio State) and Alex Hornibrook (Wisconsin), to name a few.
“The road to your dreams often are not straight and narrow, usually they have bumps, curves and dips,” Rivers wrote. “Thank you to the Illini Nation for an unforgettable year but due to personal circumstances I will be entering the transfer portal. Please respect my decision.”
https://twitter.com/schuttecfb/status/1124868337236881408?s=21
Rivers split time with AJ Bush last season under center, playing in eight games for the Illini as a true freshman. He earned three starts during his freshman year, as well.
Rivers threw for 547 yards and three touchdowns while completing passes at a 55.4 percent clip. He also accounted for 65 rushing yards on 49 carries.
As a recruit, Rivers was a member of Illinois’ 2018 class and was listed as a three-star dual-threat quarterback. He was one of three true freshmen in Illini history to star at quarterback.
With Rivers out of the picture, that likely puts Matt Robinson into the No. 1 spot at quarterback on the depth chart. He was also a true freshman, appearing in three games. He completed 3-of-6 passes for 11 yards.
Illinois has also been pursuing Penn State’s Stevens on the transfer market. The graduate transfer has one year of eligibility remaining and would likely be the starter from the moment he steps on campus.
Stevens is planning to visit Champaign on Sunday.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB