Ohio State has landed a much-needed graduate transfer quarterback.
Kentucky quarterback Gunnar Hoak has accepted an offer to join the Buckeyes as a graduate transfer, he announced Saturday on Twitter.
Coing hoe!! pic.twitter.com/XsGbsskISL
— Gunnar Hoak (@GunnarHoak12) April 28, 2019
Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch was the first to report the news.
A native of Dublin, Ohio, Hoak has several ties to Ohio State. His father, Frank, played for the Buckeyes, as did his uncle Fred Pagac and cousin Fred Pagac Jr. The elder Pagac was also formerly an assistant coach at Ohio State.
"Ever since I was born at OSU hospital, some aspect of my life has involved scarlet and gray," Hoak said in his statement. "I've heard my Dad's football stories with Coach Bruce, I've seen my Uncle coach countless Buckeye games in The 'Shoe, and watched my cousin win a National Championship. And while I have gained so much during my experience during my time in Lexington, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to continue a family legacy."
Set to graduate from Kentucky this weekend, Hoak will be eligible to play immediately for the Buckeyes in 2019. He is a redshirt junior with two remaining seasons of eligibility.
His transfer gives the Buckeyes a much-needed third scholarship quarterback along with Justin Fields and Chris Chugunov. The Buckeyes also added a commitment from preferred walk-on quarterback JP Andrade on Friday, bringing them up to five total quarterbacks on their roster, also including walk-on Danny Vanatsky.
While Fields is expected to be the starter following Matthew Baldwin's decision to leave the team, a team source told Eleven Warriors that Hoak will have an opportunity to compete for the starting job this summer.
Hoak saw action in five games for Kentucky this past season, completing 13 of 26 passing attempts for 167 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
A three-star recruit who was ranked as the 37th-best prospect in Ohio, Hoak did not receive a scholarship offer from Ohio State out of Dublin Coffman High School, but now, he'll have the opportunity to play for his dream school.
With the addition of Hoak to the roster, Ohio State is back up to 86 scholarships for 2019, one over the 85-man scholarship limit that it must meet before the season.
