Former Georgia Tech quarterback James Graham announced his intention to transfer to Georgia Southern Sunday. Graham entered the transfer portal in mid-November after appearing in one game this season.
Graham was the Yellow Jackets’ starter for the final eight games of the 2019 season, his redshirt freshman year. He completed 87 of 193 passes (45.1%) for 1,164 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Graham also ran for 290 yards and three touchdowns. He showed playmaking ability with his arm and his feet, but was also susceptible to mistakes and was put in a tough spot playing behind an offensive line that often struggled at pass protection.
This season, freshman Jeff Sims won the starting job in the preseason and was the No. 1 quarterback for all of the team’s 10 games. Graham subbed for Sims in the second half of the loss to Boston College in his lone appearance of the season.
Graham joins a team that finished the regular season at 7-5 overall and 4-4 in the Sun Belt Conference. Of the four quarterbacks on the Eagles’ depth chart for their final regular-season game, two are seniors, including Shai Werts, who started the first 10 games of the season before suffering a shoulder injury. His replacement, Justin Tomlin, is a sophomore. Provided the NCAA changes its rules to allow all athletes one transfer without having to sit out one year, as is expected, Graham will be able to play next season and have sophomore standing.
Graham is from South Georgia, having grown up in Fitzgerald.
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