Tyler Cherry transfer portal: 5 landing spots for Indiana QB if he leaves the program ft. Michigan State, Purdue
The Indiana Hoosiers are closing in on the first College Football Playoff berth in school history, but could this also mean a change of scenery is upcoming for freshman quarterback Tyler Cherry?
The former 4-star recruit is third on the depth chart and has yet to see the field in 2024. While starter Kurtis Rourke is a senior, sophomore Tayven Jackson has been the primary backup. Jackson has played sparingly in relief of Rourke, putting up 349 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in that time.
Cherry is talented enough to eventually get some playing time, but is he interested in fighting it out for a starting job with Jackson for a couple of years? If he decides to go elsewhere in the transfer portal, he's sure to have some options.
Tyler Cherry transfer portal landing spots
#1 Michigan State Spartans
The Spartans were the runner-up to landing Cherry before the Center Grove High School standout decided to go to Indiana. Michigan State has a shortage at quarterback. Sophomore Aidan Chiles is the starter, but he is completing under 60% of his passes and has 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.
Michigan State does have a couple of freshmen on the depth chart in Alessio Milivojevic and Ryland Jessee. Both are 3-star quarterbacks coming out of high school. On talent alone, Cherry could be an upgrade over anyone on the roster at this point.
#2 Purdue Boilermakers
When committing to the Hoosiers, Cherry mentioned he would be staying close to home. In that sense, it's tough to name an option that would be better than the short trip to West Lafayette.
Sure, Purdue has been among the worst Power 4 teams in the country, but that also means there is an opportunity to see the field immediately. The Boilermakers current starter, Hudson Card, is a senior. That leaves freshman Ryan Browne and Marcos Davila on the roster for 2025. Cherry would be in a competition for the starting job but he could easily see the field here.
#3 Michigan Wolverines
Few Power 4 units have regressed as badly as Michigan's offense this season. The Wolverines are near the bottom of the FBS with 299.7 total yards per game and 140.1 passing yards per game, ranking 127th in both metrics a year after winning the national title.
Michigan has trotted out three different quarterbacks this season, but none of Davis Warren, Alex Orji or Jack Tuttle seem to be the answer. They have combined for 1,518 passing yards, with 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. If nothing else, it would be interesting to see what Cherry would be able to do for such a moribund offense.
#4 Boston College Eagles
The Eagles' quarterback situation seems to be in flux at this point, as former starter Thomas Castellanos left the team and declared his desire to play elsewhere. That means Grayson James remains as the starter for now. James, a junior, has thrown for 348 yards, with four touchdowns and two interceptions.
Transferring to BC would also open the possibility of working with Bill O'Brien, a former NFL head coach who has plenty of experience developing good offenses.
#5 Texas A&M Aggies
Before deciding to attend Indiana, Cherry decommitted from Duke after Mike Elko left the Blue Devils to take the Texas A&M head coaching job. Marcel Reed seems comfortable at the helm in College Station, but perhaps joining Elko would be something Cherry would consider.
This option looks like a long shot, though, as Reed has thrown for over 1,400 yards, with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions while serving as a dual threat with his running ability.