USC quarterback Matt Fink enters NCAA transfer portal

USC quarterback Matt Fink has entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal, Fink’s father, Mike, told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday.

Fink, who will be a redshirt junior next season, spent 2018 as the backup to then-freshman JT Daniels. With a new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in Graham Harrell, USC reopened the quarterback competition during the spring, splitting repetitions evenly among Daniels, Fink, Jack Sears and Kedon Slovis.

This week, USC coach Clay Helton and Harrell had conversations with each quarterback to give them an assessment of where they would sit on the depth chart if the season were to start today. Fink left that meeting with news that told him he should pursue other options.

“We have nothing but admiration for Clay and feel the same way about Graham,” Mike Fink said. “It’s just that he’s got two years left, and we’re sort of looking at how last season went and, rather than roll the dice and run the risk Matt becomes the backup again, he’s in a good position since he’s going to graduate in June that he won’t have to sit out a year and he’d get two years somewhere. We’re pretty confident he’s a starting quarterback somewhere.”

Mike Fink said that Matt could decide to return to USC if he does not like the schools who pursue him on the transfer market. Fink played in four games last season, completing seven of nine passes for 46 yards and one touchdown.