Auburn football: Will Chayil Garnett follow Gus Malzahn to UCF?

The Auburn football team has been experiencing a slew of entries to the transfer portal as of late, mostly coming from Coach Derek Mason’s defense. However, one recent player to express interest in leaving the program is quarterback Chayil Garnett.

Garnett, a member of the 2020 recruiting class, signed on to play for the Tigers during the Gus Malzahn era of Auburn football. He was ranked three stars out of high school, and was listed as the No. 23 duel quarterback recruit in his class.

Since entering the NCAA transfer portal last week, Garnett has heard from major programs including Louisville, UCF, Indiana, Virginia Tech, and Utah. Around the SEC, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State could all be options for Garnett.

A native of Lakeland, FL, it’s possible that Garnett could be returning to the sunshine state very soon with offers from Florida State and UCF. According to SI.com, the duel QB is looking for a program where he can be a leader to the team on and off the field:

"“My time at Auburn was good but I sat down with my family, we talked over things, and it was best to move on from Auburn and find a program that’s looking for a leader,” he told SI All-American. “That’s what I’m looking for, a leadership opportunity, where I can lead a program to a national championship, ultimately.“I have had a lot of programs reach out so far,” he said. “They’re gonna get a leader, on and off the field, I take my academics seriously. I want to earn my degree and compete as an athlete and person. I’m a hard worker, always want to be that guy who’s first on the field and last to leave. Just to bring the team together, pushing everybody at their position, having trust in the coaching staff, to be that guy to bring a winning-type culture in."

Garnett also said that he did not take his year in the SEC for granted and that he learned a lot from great coaches like Gus Malzahn. It seems like a possibility that Garnett could continue to learn a lot from Malzahn, but in Orlando instead of on the Plains.

Though Malzahn has great talent in Dillon Gabriel, the returning quarterback for the UCF Knights heading into 2021, the position depth is not great with a freshman and redshirt sophomore in line behind Gabriel. The Knights do have one commitment to QB in the class of 2021, but having a QB that was originally recruited by his staff from the Auburn football program could be a gamechanger for Malzahn.