Former Boston College football quarterback Phil Jurkovec will transfer to Pittsburgh, as reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel. With one year of eligibility remaining, Jurkovec will reunite with Pitt head coach Frank Cignetti Jr., who served as BC’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
The announcement comes three days after Thamel reported on Dec. 2 that Jurkovec would enter the transfer portal. A week prior, BC concluded its three-win 2022 season with a 32–23 loss to Syracuse on Nov. 26.
Jurkovec is scheduled to face BC in Acrisure Stadium during the 2023 season. BC last faced off against Pitt on Oct. 20 in 2020, when Jurkovec threw for 358 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Eagles to a 31–30 overtime win over the Panthers.
According to Thamel, Pitt’s 2022 starting quarterback, Kedon Slovis, entered the transfer portal just hours before ESPN reported Jurkovec’s transfer to Pitt. Slovis led the Panthers to an 8–4 record overall and a 5–3 ACC record in 2022.
Jurkovec came to the Heights after two years at Notre Dame, during which he made eight appearances in two years for the Fighting Irish.
In three years under head coach Jeff Hafley, Jurkovec threw for 5,183 yards and 35 touchdowns. Jurkovec threw 17 career interceptions at BC, including eight during the 2022 season.
Jurkovec made eight starts for BC in 2022. After sustaining injuries in BC’s 13–3 loss to UConn on Oct. 29, he did not play in the Eagles’ last four games.
Redshirt freshman Emmett Morehead replaced Jurkovec and started the Eagles’ final four games against Duke, No. 17 NC State, No. 18 Notre Dame, and Syracuse. After recording 330 passing yards and four touchdowns in his first career start—a 38–31 loss to the Blue Devils—Morehead led BC to an upset win over the Wolfpack in his second start.
After starting a full season for Hafley in 2020—during which he threw for 2,558 passing yards and 17 touchdowns—Jurkovec was sidelined for the majority of the 2021 season with a hand injury he sustained in Week Two against UMass.
Jurkovec returned from his injury on Nov. 5, 2021 to face Virginia Tech and started the Eagles’ remaining three games of the season. BC went 4–2 overall in 2021 with Jurkovec under center.
Jurkovec isn’t the only noteworthy BC player leaving the Heights in 2022, as wide receiver Zay Flowers declared for the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday, and defensive back Jason Maitre announced his decision to enter the transfer portal as well on Nov. 29.
