Ole Miss adds to crowded quarterback room as Spencer Sanders transfers from Oklahoma State
Walker Howard transferred to Ole Miss from LSU Wednesday
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lane Kiffin has one loaded quarterback room in Oxford, Mississippi.
Former Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders announced Thursday he’d play for Ole Miss next season, one day after former LSU quarterback Walker Howard joined the Rebels.
LSU Tigers quarterback Walker Howard throws a pass during the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against the Purdue Boilermakers Jan. 2, 2023, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Sanders, one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal, will join Howard in the quarterback room along with 2022 starter Jaxson Dart, who returns for his junior season.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FORMER LSU QUARTERBACK CHOOSES SEC WEST RIVAL AFTER ENTERING TRANSFER PORTAL
"I fit in very well there with what they do on offense, their play-action game, the way they take deep shots down the field, Coach Kiffin's mindset and their balance with a great running back like Quinshon Judkins," Sanders told ESPN. "It's just a very well-rounded scheme."
Sanders was fifth in the Big 12 in passing yards last season, throwing for 2,642 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The senior battled an injury to his throwing shoulder in 2022, missing three of Oklahoma State’s last five games.
Quarterback Spencer Sanders of the Oklahoma State Cowboys pumps the ball under pressure from linebacker David Ugwoegbu of the Oklahoma Sooners in the fourth quarter during Bedlam at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Nov. 19, 2022, in Norman, Okla. The Sooners won 28-13. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
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Sanders finished his career at Oklahoma State with 67 passing touchdowns, adding 18 scores on the ground.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I'm excited to take my shot in a league [SEC] that's in a different category, and I'm ready to see what that's all about," Sanders said. "I've had three different offensive coordinators, so it's not like I'm opposed to playing under new people or new schemes. It's no disrespect to Oklahoma State, either. They raised me to be the quarterback I am right now, and I'm thankful for that. It was just time to move on and try something new."
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Quarterback Spencer Sanders of the Oklahoma State Cowboys runs onto the field for a game against the Iowa State Cyclones at Boone Pickens Stadium Nov. 12, 2022, in Stillwater, Okla. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
With no quarterbacks scheduled to come in with his 2022 or 2023 class, Kiffin went to the transfer portal to boost his quarterback room.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dart led Ole Miss to an 8-5 record in 2022 after transferring from USC, throwing for 2,974 yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He added 614 yards on the ground.
"There's always going to be somebody you're competing against, whether it's at this level or the next," Sanders told ESPN. "It just helps all of us — the competition — and I'm going to be the oldest one and will do the best I can to help those guys, even after I leave."