Clifton McDowell is set to change schools, again. The 23-year-old college football quarterback re-entered the transfer portal after just two months with his fifth different program.
His next school will be his sixth (basically seventh) in less than six years!
Admittedly, I do not know how old McDowell actually is. I cannot find his birthday anywhere so I am going entirely off of assumption.
He was a three-star recruit in the recruiting Class of 2019.
Most college freshman are 18 upon arrival to campus. It has been five years since he enrolled at his first school. 18+5=23.
Clifton McDowell is (probably) 23.
Regardless of his actual age, this fall will be his sixth year of college!
The Texas-native committed to Louisiana over offers from Georgetown, Louisiana-Monroe and Texas Southern. He saw action in two games in two years and completed his only pass for eight yards.
Unfortunately, tragedy stuck while McDowell was in Lafayette. D.J. Looney, an assistant coach who helped recruit him to the university, passed away during a team practice. The mental trauma was palpable and his strong faith guided him to make a change.
McDowell transferred down to junior college for a year and totaled 1,044 yards in 10 games with nine touchdowns. He later landed at Central Arkansas, where he threw just 13 passes and scored three total touchdowns in six appearances.
Those were stops number two and three. The journey only got more chaotic from there.
McDowell committed to Southern University on April 30, 2023.
He decommitted on May 12. And then McDowell was off to Montana on May 15!
His time with the Grizzlies was very successful. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound signal-caller earned Big Sky Newcomer of the Year honors by completing 160 passes for 2,026 yards and 13 touchdowns, and running for 753 yards and nine touchdowns. Montana went 13-1 en route to the FCS Championship.
McDowell had one great year in Missoula and immediately jumped into the college football transfer portal. Temple was thrilled to receive his commitment in January.
Although McDowell was slated to compete for the Owls’ starting job, his tenure in Philadelphia lasted just two months. He is now back in the portal as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.
His next school will be his sixth! (Really seventh if you count Southern…)