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Position: QB
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 296
Year: Senior
Hometown: Scotsdale, AZ
Twitter: @connorbrewer16
In February of 2011, Connor Brewer, a four-star recruit from Arizona, committed to the University of Texas, picking the Longhorns over a host of marquee programs including Alabama, Florida, and USC. Since then, the arc of his college career has been nontraditional, to say the least.
After redshirting during the 2012 season, he announced his decision to transfer closer to home and attend the University of Arizona, where he’d sit out the 2013 season per NCAA regulations and become eligible in 2014. He appeared for the Wildcats in a grand total of one play, a 3-yard TD run in the team’s 58-13 win over UNLV.
With two years of eligibility remaining, Brewer transferred to UVA in the summer of 2015 (eligible immediately as a graduate transfer) and begins his final season of college football this weekend.
After being passed over as starter last season, in favor of Matt Johns, Brewer played in just one game again, when he took over for Johns late in the team’s blowout loss to Boise State. Still, he entered camp with a positive attitude, telling Augusta Free Press, “I’m excited that the coaches gave me an opportunity in the spring to compete, and now in the fall camp I get another opportunity to compete for that starting job. I haven’t had that opportunity too many time in my career, so I’m taking the most out of it. I’m just trying to make the most of it.”
Ultimately, it was Kurt Benkert who won the starting job; Brewer ended as the backup again, sharing the spot with Johns. Virginia is in good hands at the backup QB position if the need arises. Brewer is somewhat experienced, with four years of college football under his belt, though not all of those years were productive, and skilled. He is a pure pro-style quarterback, whom Mendenhall has praised throughout camp for his accuracy.
Not only is Brewer physically ready to perform, but his positive attitude is an asset for himself and his teammates. Ideally, highly touted quarterback recruits don’t bounce around from team to team without seeing much playing time. It’s definitely not how Brewer envisioned his football career going. But he has maintained a positive attitude, acting as a leader and a mentor and enjoying his college experience.