Austin Novosad, a four-star quarterback and the 232nd overall recruit in the 2023 CFN Fusion recruiting rankings, has flipped his commitment from the Baylor Bears to the Oregon Ducks on the first day of the early signing period.
Four-Star QB Austin Novosad Flips from Baylor to Oregon
One of the first dominoes of an exciting early signing day has fallen. Novosad — a 6’3″, 185-pound quarterback out of Dripping Springs, Texas — has flipped from Baylor to Oregon in a major coup for the Ducks and a sensational setback for the Bears.
Novasad, who ranks as the QB19 of the 2023 recruiting class as per the CFN Fusion recruiting rankings, had been committed to Baylor for over a year. His selection of the Big 12 program was significant, with the highly-ranked high school prospect receiving offers from some of the top programs across the nation.
Those included Ohio State, Deion Sanders’ Colorado, and Notre Dame. Novosad also held an offer from Stanford, who recently received a commitment from reclassifying Californian kid, Myles Jackson — another four-star quarterback in this 2023 class.
Despite the long-term commitment to Baylor, rumors began to circulate that Oregon was in play. That speculation proved to be true with Novosad announcing his commitment to the Ducks during the flurry of initial announcements on early signing day. But what does it mean for both the Bears and the Ducks?
Baylor Suffers Disappointing Setback
Naturally, it’s a massive setback for Baylor. According to the CFN Fusion recruiting rankings, Novosad was the star piece of the Bears’ 2023 recruiting class. Ranking 232nd overall, he was the only top-300 player set to sign with Baylor. Their next highest-ranked player is offensive tackle Isaiah Robinson, a 6’7″, 288-pound offensive tackle out of Lamar High School, Arlington, TX.
Novosad has been extremely productive during the last three years of his high school career, throwing for 9,197 yards and 115 touchdowns with just 20 interceptions. He’s an excellent pocket passer with decent athletic upside. His signing would have provided a considerable boost to an offense that threw just 17 touchdowns this last season, ranking 88th nationally.
Baylor doesn’t currently have any quarterback commits in the 2023 or 2024 recruiting classes. Meanwhile, backup quarterback Kyron Drones quickly found a new home at Virginia Tech after entering the transfer portal. The Bears currently have just four QBs on the roster, with Brayson McHenry, Landry Kinne, and former Louisiana Tech QB Luke Anthony behind Blake Shapen.
Having been burned already in this 2023 recruiting class, Oregon recovers by bringing in Novosad to learn behind the returning Bo Nix. The Ducks saw QB Dante Moore — QB4, 10th overall in the 2023 CFN Fusion recruiting rankings — flip his commitment to UCLA earlier this week. Bringing the highly-regarded Texas native to the west coast softens that blow significantly.
