AUBURN, Ala — (247 Sports) Bowling Green graduate transfer quarterback Grant Loy has signed with Auburn, he tells 247Sports.
Auburn offensive analyst Will Bryant was one of the first coaches to reach out to Loy once he entered the portal in December, and the two parties have remained in constant contact since. With official visits off the table that relationship – and the subsequent relationships he’s formed with other members Auburn’s coaching staff – made Loy comfortable enough to pick the Tigers for his final season of eligibility.
“Every single time I talked to (Will) it was the same – very comfortable and always exciting (talk) about football,” Loy told 247Sports. “When I got a chance to talk to (offensive coordinator) Chad Morris and head coach (Gus) Malzahn, it was the same feeling. You hear all the time about having that “gut feeling” and during this pandemic and quarantine, after my official visit got cancelled, that’s literally all I had to go on.”
The 6-foot-5, 223-pound Ohio native started seven games for the Eagles last season. He threw for 1,137 yards and six touchdowns. But he was arguably most effective using his legs. Loy rushed for 427 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.3 yards per carry. Remember, quarterbacks are penalized in college because rushing totals are not sack adjusted.
Loy had two runs of 50-plus yards, one of which came during a stellar performance against Toledo (137 yards, 1 TD) that helped the Falcons snap a nine-game losing streak to the Rockets.
A former walk on, Loy brings an intriguing versatility to Auburn’s quarterback room and he could potentially be used in creative ways. Loy told 247Sports he’d be “open” to other opportunities to get on the field and help out his team, though he stressed he’s a quarterback first.
“The opportunity to play in the SEC and in a system with coaches that have creative offensive minds is a dream come true,” Loy said.
Loy fielded interest from 20-plus schools in the portal with programs such as Oklahoma State, Kansas and Syracuse reaching out. His decision came down to Auburn and Boise State.
The Ohio native played at Buckeye Central High School, which had an enrollment around 200 students when he graduated in 2016. That helped lead to Loy, who initially thought he’d play Division I basketball, falling almost completely off the radar as a recruit. He eventually walked on at Bowling Green, emerging as a contributor following his redshirt freshman year.
Overall, Loy finished his time at Bowling Green with 1,478 yards passing while completing 56.7 percent of his attempts. He also ran for 642 career rushing yards.
A December graduate, Loy is immediately eligible and adds needed experienced depth to a Tiger quarterback room that took a hit when backup Joey Gatewood decided to transfer last year.
“I’m very excited to get to work,” Loy said. “I feel I have a high ceiling, and I have continued to get better each season.”
