Wisconsin Football: 5 potential transfer destinations for Alex Hornibrook

1. Pittsburgh Panthers

Pitt winning the ACC’s Coastal Division doesn’t mask the numerous issues the Panthers had in 2018. The Coastal Division’s cluster allowed Pitt to jump into the driver’s seat despite finishing the season with a 7-7 record.

The heat is beginning to crank up on head coach Pat Narduzzi as he enters his fifth season on the sideline. He’s just 28-24 in his four seasons with the Panthers, and after beginning his tenure there with back-to-back eight win campaigns, Pitt has fallen short of that mark the last two seasons.

Pitt’s offense was led last season by a dynamic ground game headlined by Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall, but both of those players have to be replaced. That will put more on the shoulders of Pitt’s quarterback, and returning starter Kenny Pickett will need to make a leap forward in 2019 in order for Narduzzi’s team to show improvement.

Pickett completed 58-percent of his throws last season for 1969 yards and 12 touchdowns to six interceptions. He surpassed 200 yards through the air on only one occasion last season.

Hornibrook isn’t a dynamic passer, but his numbers have been better than that, and he could provide an upgrade for the Panthers behind center next season if he chose them. In the very least, Hornibrook would come in and push Pickett for the starting job, adding some quality depth behind him in case of injury if he’s unable to beat him out.

Pitt was involved in the recruiting process for Hornibrook and he is a Pennsylvania native. Pitt probably makes more sense than Penn State in terms of the potential for early playing time, also allowing him to escape the Big Ten and avoid going head-to-head with his Wisconsin teammates.

Regardless, Hornibrook isn’t likely to be short on options as he looks to narrow down his decision over the coming weeks. A veteran quarterback with his experience will always be on high demand on the transfer market.