WACO, Texas — After a heated competition which lasted the entirety of spring practice, the Baylor Bears named Blake Shapen their starting quarterback Tuesday night. Soon after, Gerry Bohanon put his name in the transfer portal.
The decision came just days after Baylor's Green and Gold game in which Shapen threw touchdown passes of 50 and seven yards.
"It's been a strong competition and I think the fight with those guys... I'm impressed. I think the way they've handled the fight is the most impressive thing to me," Head Coach Dave Aranda said after the Green and Gold Game.
Aranda said he was not ready to name a starter immediately after the game's conclusion, but he did inform the quarterbacks of his decision during meetings later in the week.
Shapen was impressive in limited appearances during the 2021 season. He filled in after Bohanon injured his hamstring in a game with Kansas State and started the next two games against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship game.
During the Big 12 Championship game, Shapen set an AT&T Stadium record by completing 17 consecutive passes to open the game. However, a shoulder injury suffered in the second half of that game kept him from participating in the Sugar Bowl.
Bohanon, on the other hand, entered the season as the presumptive favorite to land the starting job. He started all 12 games he played in in 2020-21, including the Bears' Sugar Bowl appearance. He threw for 2,200 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Baylor's quarterback decision came before the May 1 deadline to enter the transfer portal, allowing Bohanon to leave Baylor as a graduate transfer and still be eligible to compete in 2022.
Baylor opens the season Sept. 3 against Albany in Waco.
