Quarterback Jake Garcia Expected to Enter Transfer Portal

East Carolina’s quarterback room is set to lose a member, as Junior Jake Garcia is no longer with the team and is expected to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.

The news was first reported by Stephon Igoe of 247Sports.

Garcia will be back in the portal for the third time in his college career after previous stops at Miami and Missouri. He transferred to ECU this past offseason and began the 2024 season as the Pirates’ starting quarterback.

The California native started the first six games of the year, leading ECU to a 3-3 record before being benched just before halftime of a blowout loss at Charlotte. He finished the season completing 60.2 percent of his passes for 1,426 yards, eight touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Despite not playing a snap after mid-October, Garcia’s interception total still ranks among the highest in the country — a stat that underscores one of the key issues during his tenure.

Despite losing the starting role, Garcia remained with the team through the winter semester and participated in most of spring practice. With projected starter Katin Houser limited while recovering from wrist surgery.

Garcia is listed as a junior with at least one year of eligibility remaining. He could potentially apply for a medical redshirt stemming from the 2021 season, which would give him two more years to play at the college level.

Following Tuesday’s practice, offensive coordinator John David Baker shared that Garcia’s decision wasn’t solely about football, and emphasized his support for the quarterback.

“For Jake, he's got other things outside the game of football,” Baker said. “He's got a daughter and he's got other people he cares about and has to take care of. It's not just all a football decision. He's got to make some decisions and look at some things that are best for him and his family.”

Baker added:
“I told him today, ‘I love you. And I will do whatever I can to help you from now until forever.’ He knows that. Sad to see him go. He’s been such a joy and a great teammate to the people around him. We will support him and pull for him. But we’ve got a lot of other guys in the room we will continue to coach and develop, and get ready to play.”

Garcia is expected to officially enter the transfer portal when the spring window opens on ,April 16.